Viktor Moskalenko - The Even More Flexible French

Viktor Moskalenko

Strategic Ideas & Powerful �apons

NEWiNCH�

The Even More Flexible French

Viktor Moskalenko

The Even More Flexible French Strategic Ideas

&

Powerful Weapons

2015 New In Chess

© 2015 New In Chess

Published by New In Chess, Alkmaar, The Netherlands www.newinchess.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher. All

photos: New In Chess Archives, unless indicated otherwise.

Cover design: Steven Boland Supervisor: Peter Boel Proofreading: Rene Olthof Production: Anton Schermer Have you found any errors in this book? Please send your remarks to [email protected]. We will collect all relevant corrections on the Errata page of our website ww w.newinchess.com and implement them in a possible next edition. ISBN: 9 78-90-5 69 1 -574-2

Contents Explanation of Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 On 'The Even More Flexible French' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Foreword 8 Seven Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 .

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Part One - Advance Variation - 1 .e4 e 6 2.d4 d 5 3 .es . . . . . . . .. .. . . . 11 Chapter 1 - Looking for Satisfaction: 5 ...'ifb6 6.a3 tllh6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 2 - Bringing the King's Knight Straight into Play: S ... llih6/S ... llige7 Chapter 3 - Don't Touch the French Bishop on c8!: 4 . ../S ... .id7 . . . . . . . . Chapter 4 - The Problematic 6 . .id3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter S - A Dynamic Set-up against Nimzowitsch's Gambit: 4.'iVg4 . . . Chapter 6 - Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 ...c4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part'I'wo - Tarrasch Variation - 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . tLld2 Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

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7 - Beyond Tarrasch: 3 . . .llif6 4 .e S lllfd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - Salta Mortale: 9.tllf4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 - Fianchetto versus Symmetry: 7.tllgf3 g6 . . . . . . . . . . 10 - Plan with the Exchange .ic8x.ifl: 6 ... b6 . . . . . . . . 1 1 - A Pawn Wedge: S .f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 - Romanishin Variation: 3 ... .ie7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 - A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 ... cS 4.exdS °ifxd5

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13 31 38 44 SO SS

85

. 87 . 97 1 03 1 13 1 23 139 1 61

Part Three - Classical System - 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . tLlc3 W6..... . . . 177 Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

14 - Morozevich's Resources: 4.eS lllfd7 . . . . . . . . lS - The Proper Scope of the Move 7 ... .ie7 . . . . . . 16 - Use Your Own Head in the French!: 8 ...'iVb6 . 17 - A Legendary Pin: 4.£.gs .ib4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 - Russian Roulette: 4.e5 tllfd7 S . tlJf3 cS 6.dxc5 .

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178 19S 207 219 2SO

Part Four -WinawerVariation - 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tLlc3 �b4 . . . . . . 267 Chapter 19 - My System in the Winawer: 4.e5 b6 5 .'ifg4 .ifs . . . . . . . . . 269 Chapter 20 - The Old Winawer: 4.e5 c5 S .a3 �xc3+ 6.bxc3 "i:fc7 . . . . . . 278 Chapter 21 - Black Queen Blues (Portisch/Hook Variation): 6 ...'i:Va5 . . . . . 2 9 1

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players . .. . . . . . . . 3 1 9 Chapter 2 2 - How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French) : 3 .exdS . . Chapter 23 - King's Indian Attack: 2.d3 dS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 24 - Weathering the Storm: 3 ...tLlf6 4.�gS �el S.eS tLlfd7 6.h4 0-0 Chapter 2S - Kortchnoi's Wedge: 2.tLlf3 d5 3 .e5 c5 4.b4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 26 - Reti/Papa Gambit: 2.b3 dS 3 . �b2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index of Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biography/Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

320 332 338 343 3 46 3SS 3S8 363

5

The Even More Flexible French

Explanation of Symbols The chess board with its coordinates: 8 7 6

5 4 3

i � .i. � • � i .t. .t. .t. l l .t. .t. .t. • • • • • • • • •

;;!;;

+

± + +-+ = 00

� > <

�

a b c d e f g h

s; II

0 White to move

n

Black to move @ King 'ii' Queen n Rook � Bishop ltJ Knight

!? ?!

•

D /::,. -7

t tt

+:t

# corr.

6

White stands slightly better Black stands slightly better White stands better Black stands better White has a decisive advantage Black has a decisive advantage balanced position unclear compensation for the material strong (sufficient) weak (insufficient) better is weaker is good move excellent move bad move blunder interesting move dubious move only move with the idea attack initiative lead in development counterplay mate correspondence

On 'The Even More Flexible French' Compared to 'The. Flexible French', 'The Even More Flexible French' has: •

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12 new chapters 28 extra games almost 100 extra pages updates and, where necessary, expansions in every chapter hundreds of improvements, alternatives and new ideas

The chapters are re-structured; lines that have become more important have been turned into separate games, or even separate chapters. Some of the 'old' games have been replaced by others. For Chapter 15 material was used from a Survey in Yearbook 9 8 ; Chapter 16 con­ tains material from a Survey in Yearbook 1 1 2, and Chapter 1 8 contains material from a Survey in Yearbook 7 9 .

The auchor at work as a chess coach

in Dubai.

7

The Even More Flexible French

Foreword

The French Defence is a gem in any chess player's opening repertoire. The main difference in comparison to other great openings is the display of knowledge and concepts that are required here, instead of a constant memorization and repetition of long, forced, 'theoretical' lines. The middlegame and, with it, the real battle be­ gins at a very early stage. This 'Flexible French' book is an attempt to mix various aspects: my general experi­ ence in this opening, new concepts and analysis of several creative lines. Its purpose is to offer a combative repertoire to black players, and also to offer white players some sharp ideas. With 1 ...e7-e6, Black builds a fortress with a closed centre, so the main roads to suc­ cess are those leading to a game where White's extra tempo is not so important. This defence is also full of strategic as well as tactical resources, and according to many masters, its lines are among the most complicated in chess. There are also several forgotten systems that are still full of possibilities, sharp and exotic lines, original ideas and much more. The current state of opening theory During the past years - the computer days - many books by vanguard authors have seen the light, with ambitious names like 'Beating the Spanish, the Sicilian, the French' and many others. Some authors even churn out books of this type up to 3-5 times a year! 8

Please note that the Grand Masters, such as Botvinnik, Petrosian and also the best modern players, work on the study of their systems much more slowly, but with great depth - learning and practicing them year after year. The evaluations of their ideas hardly change, at least not as abruptly as in these new books. Also, I think that a new time has arrived for chess books on opening theory. Instead of copying thousands of games that are played each day and presenting extensive analyses by engines, it is much more effective - and more positive - to compose a book with articles according to a different concept: with space for back­ ground information, an instructive selection of the material and conclusions drawn from this material. The reader of The Even More Flexible French will find it the easiest and the most interesting to learn the main plans with the following structure in each Part: •

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Historic origin of each variation Main ideas, resources, advices Analysis of the most interesting lines through model games Illustrative games (the best examples) Statistics, summaries and conclusions.

I hope that my previous publications and the present work can serve as good exam­ ples of this new method of writing opening books and articles. Of course, many questions will remain open, for practical players as well as theoreticians. However, in this day and age you won't need years and years to study this genuine opening - The French Defence. Just read this book!

Greetings to you all! Grandmaster Viktor Moskalenko, Dubai 2015

9

The Even More Flexible French

Seven Symbols For the convenience of the reader of my books, certain special lines in the analyses are marked with the following seven symbols: TRICK: hidden tactics and some tricky ideas, e.g. traps you can set and pitfalls you have to avoid. PUZZLE: possible transpositions, move order subtleties, curiosities and rare lines.

� WEAPON: the best lines to choose; strong or surprising options for both at­ tack and defence, which deserve attention.

�� PLAN: the main ideas for one of the sides in the next phase of the game. � STATISTICS: winning percentage for a line or for either side/player. WORKSHOP: how the author plans to construct the chapter at hand. KEEP IN MIND: here, fundamental ideas for either side are given.

10

Part One The Black Queen's Musketeers Advance Variation - 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 A Repertoire for Black

Dedicated to Gioacchino Greco and Evgeny Sveshnikov A Bit of History The best way to learn the genuine French Defence is by playing the Advance Varia­ tion - 3.eS, the most natural move for White, which closes the centre immediately and gains space. The stem game of the Advance Variation and, we could say, the first genuine French game, was played as long ago as 1 620 ! The famous Italian master Gioacchino Greco attacked with the white pieces.

The famous Italian master Gioacchino ( 1 600-1634) played the first ge nui ne French game as long ago as 1 62 0 .

Greco

Strategies - 3 ...cS ! From this point on, both players must develop their main plans as quickly as possible: White must get ready to castle king­ side and to attack on the flanks, while Black looks for counterplay with the standard ... c7c5, and tries to develop his queenside and exert pressure on the central pawn on d4. Among other important resources for Black, we find the classical break . . . f7 f6, exerting pressure in the centre and, of course, the manoeuvre . . . tllg 8-e7-f5 or else

... tllh6!.

With this simple strategy the battle be­ gins. 11

Part I -Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 .e5

� •

•

Keep in Mind In many of the games that we will study here, the strategic plans do not work without tactical tricks. Generally speaking, the two black knights and the white king's bishop are the most important pieces in the Advance Variation.

Directions One of the 'small' advantages for Black when facing the Advance Variation is that he just needs to know a couple of lines deeply, whereas White must make a thorough study of all the existing ideas. Throughout my career I have conducted a personal search for a weapon against the 3 .es system, analysing in several directions. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 tLlc6 5.tllf3

After these natural moves, the key position in the Advance Variation is reached. Black must choose his strategy now. First of all, we will investigate a semi-open set-up in the modern line with 5 ... °tWb6 6.a3 tllh6 (Chapter I Looking for Satisfaction) , and here Black faces a second advance: 7.b4 (Games 1-4). -

Early alternatives for Black: Chapter 2 - Direct development of the king's knight: 5 ... tllh6 or 5 ..tlle 7 (Games 5 and 6) Chapter 3 The early ... �d7 (Games 7 and 8) .

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Two White Gambits Chapter 4 The Milner-Barry Gambit: 6.�d3 (Game 9) Chapter 5 Nimzowitsch's Gambit: 4.�g4 (Game 1 0) Chapter 6 The Old System Labyrinths -

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Next, we will return to the classical paths in the French Defence, introduced by the blockading move 6 ... c4 (Games 1 1 -22). This move prevents 7.b4.

12

Chapter 1

-

Looking for Satisfaction

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ltJc6 5.ll:if3 'ilfb6 6.a3 6...ll:ih6 (left) or the even more flexible 6 ... ll:ige7!? (right)

History The author of the present book defeated Sveshnikov with the black pieces in his favourite Advance Variation of the French in 1 987. In that game I prepared a totally new and very creative counter-plan and I obtained a very good position. But in the end I won only after a tense and spectacular fight. I felt as though I had killed a monster! I would like to thank grandmaster Sveshnikov for his combative play in both of the games annotated in this book (Games 1 and 5 ) . It was a real pleasure to play against him!

Russian grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov was horn in 1950. To the present day. he has tried to master lhe Advance Variation from the white side and he recently published a book on this variation.

Introduction In this chapter I shall retrace the most important steps in my study of the Advance Variation. Of all the many possibilities in the opening I generally tend to choose the most aggressive plans with black. With set­ ups like . . . 'iVb6/ . . . tt:Jh6 , Black prepares a direct attack against the d4-pawn, not allowing White time to castle and forcing him to defend his centre first. Therefore, the logical reaction is the move 6.a3 ! ? , preparing 7 . b4 and then �b 2 I �e3 , which seems to be the best way for White to fight for an advantage. This tense situation forces Black to look for satisfaction by entering into some quite forcing lines, where pieces will be fighting against pawns. 13

Part I Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es -

On a historical note, this plan was suggested long ago by the well-known German master Louis Paulsen, and introduced by him in 1 8 79. Curiously, about 1 0 0 years later, another master, of Moldavian origin, found a similar opening idea for Black in another opening: ... d5-c6-a6-b5 in the Slav. See Viktor Bologan's book The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan (New In Chess, 2008). Directions (Games 1-4) After 7.b4

... we reach the key position of this line. White gains even more space and tries to control the entire board. In this chapter, we will check four critical lines, which are considered to be the most modern and most dynamic options for both sides. •

Game 1 : 7.. cxd4 8.cxd4 tlJf5 9.�b2 �e7 (this model game also indicates some must-know alternatives and deviations on moves 6-9). .

The early development of the king's bishop is the oldest defence against the threat g2-g4: now 1 0 .g4?! tlJh4 offers a nice game for Black. White has to choose between two other options: 1 0 . �d3 or 1 0.h4. Game 2: 9... �d7 With time Black has discovered that g2-g4 could be a double-edged move, since this new advance creates even more holes in White's pawn formation (b4-d4-g4). After this principled move 10.g4 quite eccentric positions arise. In many variations the black knights are the key pieces in the search for counterplay, and they perform im•

14

Chapter

I

-

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 . . . � b6 6.a3 tLlh 6

pressively at the critical moments in these complicated games, right up to the end. In Game 2 we see this push appear one move later, after Black's alternative 9 ... �d7!?. Game 3: 8.�xh6 Grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov (an expert in the Advance on the white side) published two extensive articles on these lines in Yearbooks 97 and 98. He also in­ troduced a new alternative, the intermediate exchange on h6: 7.b4 cxd4 8.�xh6!?. The surprise effect of this move has granted White some practical successes. After 8 ...gxh6 9.cxd4 •

There is no direct threat to the pawn on d4. Still, Black has three natural ideas: 9... .id7 developing the queenside first 9... .ig7 immediate fianchetto with kingside castling 9... .l:i.g8 an active manoeuvre with the king's rook (with the idea ... .l:i.g4). The analysed game is a good model, showing the play for both sides. -

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• •

PUZZLE: Here I have also included Black's deviations from the exchange .iclxtLlh6: see 5 ...ttJh6 and 6 ... tLlge7.

Game 4: 9. .ie3

This illogical-looking move has almost lost its popularity in favour of 9. .ib2, since Black gets quite successful counterplay after either 9...f6 or 9... .id7.

15

Part I -Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es

Looking for Satisfaction Games -

GAME 1 - 9

...

.ie7

Evgeny Sveshnikov (2535) Viktor Moskalenko (2435) Norilsk 1967 (7)

This was a very tough test for me, since I was facing a great master of the Advance Variation. However, I had prepared a 'surprise bombshell' at home. 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 tbcG 4...'t!Vb6!? is even playable right now. This move order avoids 5.�e3, another popular plan for White.

the centre and on the kingside because of his e5 -pawn, and he also wants to gain more space on the queenside by playing b2-b4. I am sure that both known develop­ ments of the king's bishop are weaker: A) PUZZLE: For the problematic 6 . �d3 see the many typical lines given here and in Chapters 2-4. /fl*-

B) WEAPON: 6.£.e2 tt:'ih6!

5.ltJf3

With 5.�e3 an interesting mm1ature went 5 ... 'i'b6 6.'tf!Yd2 �d7 7.tt:'if3 cxd4 8.cxd4 1lc8 9.tt:'ic3 tt:'iaS!? 10.llcl �b4 1 1 .�d3 tt:'ic4 1 2.'i'eZ?? (1 2 . �xc4D tlxc4=) 12 ... tt:'ixb2! 1 3 . �d2 tt:'ia4! 0-1 Romero Ruscalleda-Pomes Marcet, Catalunya tt 2005. 5 .. 'ifb6! Later, in 1 993, I played 5 ... tt:'ih6!? against Sveshnikov, which is just another way to avoid the modern line with 8 ... �xh6 - Game 3. 6.dxc5 (after 6.a3 tt:'if5 ! 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 'i'b6 we go back to the paths of the main games 1 , 2 and 4) 6 ... £.xcS 7.b4 iilb6 with many possibili­ ties for both sides, see Game 5. .

The pressure on d4 does not allow White to continue calmly. 6.a3!?

This is the first key position in this line. White already has a space advantage in 16

analysis diagram

7.�xh6 (after 7.tt:'ia3? cxd4 8 .cxd4 �xa3! 9.bxa3 tt:'ifs 1 0 . �e3 'tl!Yas+ Black has the initiative, Cubles-Moskalenko, Canovelles 2000; or 7.b3 cxd4 8 .cxd4 �b4+! 9.Wfl D tt:'ifs 10.�b2 'i'd8 ! ? and Black has the better chances) 7... gxh6! (7 ... 'i'xb2? is dubious: 8 . �e 3 ! 'i'xal 9.'i'c2! cxd4 1 0.tt:'ixd4!±) 8 .'i'd2 £.g7 (8 ... �aS !?N with the idea 9 ... cxd4) 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.tt:'ia3 cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 f6 1 2 .exf6 tlxf6 1 3 .tt:'ic2 �d7 14.b4 �e8! 1 5 .b5 tt:'ie7 1 6 .tt:'ies tt:'ig6! (attacking White's best piece) 1 7.tt:'ig4 l:tf8 1 8.tt:'ixh6+ (18. g3 h5! Bakre-T.L.Petrosian, Dubai 2007) 18 ...Wh8 1 9.tt:'ig4 tt:'if4 20.a4 �g6!t, for his small material deficit Black en­ joyed an excellent game (0- 1 , 34) in Roy Chowdhury-Moskalenko, Montcada 2008.

/fl*- C) WEAPON: After 6.tt:'ia3 6 ...

cxd4 7.cxd4 Black has a forced

Chapter

I

-

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 . . . �b6 6.a3 tt:lli 6

option based on tactics: 7... ilb4+ (alternatively, 7...tllg e7!? 8.tllc2 tllfS transposes to a line in Game 6, Chapter 2) 8.ild2 �xa3 9.bxa3 tllxd4 1 0.�a4+ tllc 6 I l .ild3 (I l .�g4? �b2!) 1 1 ...tllg e7 with a complex position.

analysis diagram

6... tl:ih6! This is a classic French manoeuvre, in­ tending to attack the d4-pawn. Until 2005 the set-up ...�b6-tllh6 was my main plan against the Advance Variation. The play is completely different after 6 ... c4, which we will study in Chapter 6. I have never liked the line 6 ... �d7, see Chapter 3, Garnes 7 and 8. However, an even more flexible move order could be 6 ...tllge7!?, avoiding any possibility of �xh6: 7.b4 (if 7.dxcS then 7...�c7 !+:t attacking the key pawn on eS, see also the notes to Game 3) 7... cxd4 8.cxd4 tllfs etc., transposing to the game. 7.b4 Planning to conquer the board with his pawns. The immediate exchange 7.ilxh6? should after 7...'iYxb2! be better for Black.

�

KEEP IN MIND: The line 7.ild3 cxd4 8.cxd4 tllfs 9.�xfS exf5 1 0.tllc 3 �e6. _.\.fter the exchange ild3xtllf5 White has nothing in this closed structure.

Typical examples and transpositions can be found throughout Part One, in Garnes 6 and 9, and in the main game here. 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 The modern alternative is 8 .ilxh6!?, a fresh attempt by Sveshnikov, in order to exchange the knight before it reaches fS - see Game 3. 8... tl:if5

Black's pieces will fight against the wall created by the white pawns. 9.�b2 For White's alternative 9.Ae3 see Game 4. This is another key moment in the opening. Black faces a dilemma: which bishop should be developed first? 9 . . .te7 Obviously a good move: now Black is able to castle and he also maintains his knight on fS by the possibility of 1 0.g4 tllh4. However, nowadays the most fashion­ able move is 9 ... �d7!?, thanks to several .

17

Part I Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .es -

famous victories for Black in 2005. See Game 2.

1 0 .id3! The d4-pawn is protected tactically. flll-- WEAPON: 10.M (comfortably preparing l l .g4) is an idea of Leningrad grandmaster Mark Tseitlin: 10 ... jid?!? 1 l .g4 tllh6 1 2 . llgl 0-0 (12 ... tlla 5!? is always a very interesting option) 1 3 .tllc 3 f6 (13 .. .f5!?N) 14.tlla4 �c7!?N (an improvement on 14 ...�d8 1 5.exf6 llxf6 1 6.g5 l::txf3 1 7.'i¥xf3 tllf5� Grischuk-Johannessen, Reykjavik 2000) 1 5.exf6 (15.llcl? fxe5!) 1 5 ... llxf6 1 6 .g5 .J::rxf3 and Black is better after any reply. 1 0 . . a5 My counterattack begins. The natural 1 0 ... 0-0!? has not yet been properly ex­ plored, although Black looks very solid. flll-- WEAPON: Black still has time to go for complications with 10 ... �d?!? .

1 1 .0-0 (1 1 . �xf5 exf5 1 2 .tllc 3 jie6=) l l ...g6 (1 I ...nc8!?; l l ...g5!? Fedorowicz­ Dokhoian, Wijk aan Zee 1989; l 1 ...lLifxd4?! (the only move analysed by Sveshnikov) 1 2 .tllxd4 tllxd4 1 3.�g4i) l 2 .tllc 3!? (12.�xf5 gxf5!? 1 3 .tllc 3 tlla 5! with the idea 14.tlla4 'ltc6+:t) 12 ... lLifxd4 1 3.ltJxd4 (less good is 1 3 .tllxd5?! exd5+ 14.e6? fxe6 1 5 .tllxd4 �f6!-+ Saldano­ Moskalenko, Roquetas de Mar 2004) 1 3 ... tt:Jxd4 (13 ...�xd4!?oo) 14.'tfg4 ltJb3 !N (14 ... ltJc6 15.nfeloo Jonkman­ Moskalenko, Banyoles 2005) 1 5 .l:ta2 a5! and Black keeps both the extra pawn and the nice counterplay. 1 1 .hf5 I think that this typical exchange favours Black in almost every case. It should be borne in mind that the king's bishop is one of White's most important pieces in the Advance Variation. Later another move for White was found: l l .'ti'a4!? .2.d7!? l 2 .b5 0-0 (1 2 ... g6oo) 1 3 .0-0 g6!?N with a quite balanced posi­ tion: 14.�c3? tlla 7+ Bures-Manoeuvre, Kerner 2007. flll-- WEAPON: Or l l .b5 tt:Jcxd4 1 2 .tllxd4 lLixd4

.

analysis diagram

18

1 3 .tllc 3 (13.'tWg4 tllb 3! 14.'ir'xg7 .!:f.f8 1 5.l:.a2 �d7+) 1 3 ... a4! 'which promises Black at least an equal game' - Sveshnikov. Here is a line that shows exactly how: 14.0-0 g6!N (14 ... �d7 1 5.�g4!) 1 5.lLixa4 'ti'a7!? 1 6.ltJc3 0-0 and Black is OK.

Chapter

I

- Looking for Satisfaction: 5 . . . 'l:Wb6 6.a3 tllh6

1 1 ... exfS 1 2. llJc3 .te6 My own experience tells me that this bishop is not as bad as theory books claim. 1 3.b5 a4!�

This unexpected resource is the main idea of my plan: sacrificing the a-pawn will give Black the chance to improve his knight's position with the manoeuvre ...tt:Ja5-c4. He gains the initiative on the queenside. 1 4. 'ifd3 Later, opponents tried new moves against me: 14.0-0 tlJa5 15 . ..icl tlJc4 16.lLixa4 �xbS I 7.tlJc3 'i:Yc6 is better for Black, Vasiukov-Moskalenko, Belgorod 1 990.

1 6. lt:Jg1 White is also looking for the best squares for his pieces. 1 6 ... ll:id7 1 7.lt:Jge2 'flc7 1 8. .td2 lt:Jb6 1 9 . .C.c1 If l 9.�g3 Wf8 - the king is flexible. This defence is similar to the Winawer system. Or 1 9...g6, or even 1 9...g5!?. 1 9 ... 'ii'd 7!? The safest square for the black queen. The engine gives 1 9...'i!Yc4! 20.�g3 .ixa3!:+. � TRICK: 1 9...tt:Jc4?! 20.tt:Jxd5!? W .ixdS 2 1 .tllf4�. 20.lt:Ja2 0-0 21 . .tb4

TRICK: 14.�bl tt:Ja5 1 5 .'l:Wxa4?! 0-0t 1 6.'l:Wd l ? tlJc4 1 7.a4? lLixb2 18.l:lxb2 '/Was 0-1 Garrido Fernandez-Moskalenko, Barbera del Valles 2003.

1 4 ...lt:JbS This might be a psychological mistake. Now the knight must spend more tempi to get to c4, but I did not want to sacri­ fice material against a grandmaster! The most active idea was to pursue my initial plan with 14 ...tt:JaS! 1 5.lLixa4 '/Wa7, with full compensation for the pawn. 1 5. .tc1 h6! :\ very useful move in this position. The white queen's bishop is kept out of play.

White has found a way to exchange his passive bishop, but the knight on c4 will be another cause for concern. 21 ... .C.fc8 22.:Xc8+ :Xc8 23.0-0 i.g5 Provoking the next move. 23 ...tt:Jc4!?. 24.f4 Now the knight will never get to f4. 24... .te7 24... �d8!? was more ambitious. 19

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5

25 . .be7 'ifxe7 26.lllb4 1i'd7 27. l:.c1 ? Now White loses his b5-pawn. Better was 27.tLlc3 tLlc4+:!. 27... lb:cl+! 28.tt:Jxc1 llJc4 Winning material. Black keeps a clear advantage. 29.lbe2 1i'xb5 30.lt:Jg3 g6 31 .'it>f2 'ti'b6 32.lt:Jf1 ? This allows a cool sacrifice which will conquer all White's pawns in return.

In this - for the author - unforgettable game, grandmaster Sveshnikov did not manage to demonstrate a single effective idea in his favourite variation against my counterattack with 1 0 ... a5 and 1 3 ... a4! . While fighting for the initiative, he for­ got to defend his advanced pawns. As a summary of the main plan with 5 ...�b6, 6 ...tLlh6 and 9 ... tLle7, I can assert that Black gains counterplay in almost all lines. Still, I was not completely satisfied and I thought that White could improve his play at certain points. 9 . Ad7 Alexei Shirov (2710) Mikhail Gurevich (2652)

GAME 2

-

.

.

Khanty-Mansiysk 2005 (3)

32 ... tt:Jxa3!-+ A combination resembling draughts: you sacrifice a piece and in return you get to capture three or four pawns. 33. 'ti'xa3 'ifxd4+ 34.'it>e1 'ii'e 4+! 35.@d1 'ii'xf4 36.ll\d2 'ii'xh2 37. 'ii'xa4 'ii'xg2

A lone knight is protecting the 'naked' white king. The game is over. 38. 'ifa8+ @g7 39. 'ii'xb7 'ti'gl + 40.r.t>e2 f4 41 . tt:Jc6 'ii'e3+ 42.'it>d1 i.g4+ 43.@c2 i.fS+ 44.'it>d1 f3 45. 'ii' b5 i.d3 46. 'ii'xd5 f2 0-1 20

In my opinion, this was an important game for the Advance Variation, which increased the popularity of 9... £d7. I recommend the reader to make a deep study of the secondary lines, since the alternatives (and new updates) given there are equally important as the game moves. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4.c3 tt:Jc6 5. lllf3 'ii' b6 6.a3 liJh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 liJfS 9.i.b2 i.d7!?

A creative continuation, allowing the advance g2-g4. Now the natural moves 10.£d3 , 1 0 .tLlc3 or 1 0.tLlbd2 would simply lose the d4-pawn. 1 0.g4!

Chapter 1 Obviously, White chooses the most ag­ gressive move available. He achieves less than nothing after the alternatives: A) 1 0.�e2 is too slow: 10 ... �e7 1 1 .0-0 h5!? 1 2.'tWd3 a6!? (1 2 ...g5 1 3 .bS tt:Jas 14.4:Jfd2 ncs 1 5.a4oo) 1 3 .4:Jbd2 (l3.nd1 l:rc8!) 1 3 ... 4:Ja7 14.4:Jb3 Abs�; B) On the other hand, 10.Ad3 is too aggressive: 10 ...4:Jcxd4 1 1 .4:Jxd4 4:Jxd4 1 2 .4:Jc3 g6!?N 1 3.0-0 .tg7+ PUZZLE: The variation 10.4:Jc3 4:Jfxd4 1 1 .4:Jxd4 ftfxd4! l 2."ifxd4 4:Jxd4 1 3 .tlJxdSoo is interesting.

4*

This pos1t10n is like a jigsaw puzzle! 13 ...4:Jc2+ 14.Wd2 �c8!? 1 5 . .l:f.cl 4:Jxa3! 1 6.4:Jc7+ Wd8 1 7.4:Jxe6+ �xe6 1 8.nxc8+ Wxc8 l 9.�xa3 �e7!?t and Black is in ex­ cellent shape. He plans to continue with ... a7-a5, ...Wb8 and ... .!:l'.c8/�d8. 1 0 tllfe7 A logical retreat. r- WEAPON: But the most dynamic option seems to be 1 0 ... 4:Jh6!?. ...

b

b

� M tiJ

ttJ b w� � analysis diagram

b

b M

-

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 ... 'tWb6 6.a3 tllh 6

Preparing a classical counterattack against the centre. Now: A) l l .h3 f6 (the classic French break. Alternatively, 1 1 ....l:tcS!? 1 2.4:Jc3 tlJaS! offers creative chances: 1 3.4:Ja4 �c6 14.ncl tlJc4� Shirov-Sadvakasov, Astana 2001) 1 2 .exf6 gxf6 1 3.4:Jc3 4:Jf7! and Black is solid: 14.4:Ja4 'tWc7 1 s.nc1 'iVf4 1 6 . .l:t.c3 b6!� was 0-1 (45), Cori Tello-Malakhatko, Gibraltar 2010; B) There are also many games with 1 1 .�gl .l:!c8! (1 1 ...f6!? is still the main line: 1 2 .exf6 gxf6 1 3.4:Jc3 4:Jf7 14.4:Ja4 "iYc7 1 5.ncl 'iVf4� etc.) 1 2.4:Jc3 tlJaS! 1 3.tlJa4 �c6 14.tlJcS tlJc4 1 5.�cl 4:Jg8 16.�d3 �xcS 1 7.dxcS b6 (Black's position is clearly better) 1 8.ihc4 1/2-1/2 Sveshnikov-Dizdar, Bled 2005. 1 1 .tllc3

1 1 ... tlla5 !? A well-known resource in these struc­ tures. Grandmaster Psakhis wrote in The Complete French: 'White got a few weak­ nesses on the queenside and Black tries to exploit them. This move has become quite popular in the last couple of years'. An equally good alternative is the jump with the other knight: 1 I ...4:Jg6!? and now: A) 1 2 .h4 h5! 1 3.tlJa4!? (13.g5?! 4:Ja5! 14.tlJa4 "i¥c6! 15 .tlJc5 tllc4t is favour­ able for Black, Sveshnikov-Ostenstad, Oslo tt 2008) 1 3 ... 'i'd8! 14.gS �e7!?N (preparing kingside castling; 14 ... ncS!?� (Dahl-Kraai, Indianapolis 2009) 1 5.ncl 21

Part I -Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5 0-0 16.tllc S Axes 1 7.�xcS tllce7!=i=. White has many potential weaknesses, also around his king; B) 1 2 .tlla4 °iVd8 ! 1 3 .tllc s (13.h4 h5! 14.gS b6 1 5 . Ad3 tllf4 1 6 . ga6 tlle 7 l 7.tllc 3 tllfS+:t Nevednichy-Lputian, Ohrid Ech 2001; 1 3 .l: k l a6 14.tllc S gxcS 1 5.l:r.xc5 f6!+:t) 13 ... gxcS 14.dxc5 'lWc7 1 5 .�e2 (Vysochin-Prezerakos, Korinthos 2004) and now the best solu­ tion for Black is 1 5 ... 0-0!?, intending l 6.h4 d4!+:t with satisfactory counter­ play ; C) 1 2.l:r.cl .Yl.e7 (12 ... hS!?; 1 2 ...'i!Vd8!? 1 3 .h4 hS!+::t) 1 3.h4 (1 3 .tlla4 °iVd8 14.tllc S -2.xcS 1 5.l:r.xc5 hS+::t) 13 ...'iVd8? (13... hS!+::t) 14.tllb s (14.hS! tllh4 1 5.tllxh4 .Yl.xh4 1 6 .tllb 5i) 14 ... a6 1 5 .h5? (� 1 5 .tlld 6+ .2.xd6 1 6.exd6 hSoo) 15 ... axb5 1 6.hxg6 fxg6 and Black is better, Sveshnikov-Agrest. Oslo tt 2008.

,,._ WEAPON: The immediate break 1 1 ...hS!? is also an interesting re­ source:

analysis diagram

The critical pos1t10n. 1 5 ...tllc 8! (1 5 ...tlld S? 16.tllxc4±; the line 1 5 ... c3 is interesting, but more complicated: 1 6 .'ii'xc3!? tlld 5 1 7.°iVb3oo Haba-Kosic, Calvia Olympiad 2004) 1 6 .tllxc4 b5! with good compensation for the pawn: 1 7.tlle 3 'iYxc2 1 8 .tllxc2 .2.c6 l 9.f3 tllb 6! (the alternative 19 ... h5 is probably worse, since this advance has no point and it allows the f8-bishop to be blocked in: 20.g5± Sveshnikov-Lopez Martinez, Stepanakert 2005) 20.tlle 3 (20.@f2 ge7 2 1 .h4 tllc4+:t) 20 ... �e7 !N (developing is more precise than the immediate attack with 20 ... tlla4 2 1 .0-0-0!oo Molander­ Johannessen, Stockholm 2005) 2 1 .h4 aS+:t and Black gets an attractive game for only a pawn. 1 2 ... .:ca! 1 3 . .:lc1 Both sides still have many resources to wage a serious battle. If 1 3 .tlla4 'iYc6! l 4.tllc 5 tllc 4!+:t.

analysis diagram

1 2 .tlla4 °ifc7!? 1 3 .gS tllg 6 14 . .l:!cl °iVd8!N (14 ...a6oo Tomba-Cora, Italy 1 996) 1 5 . Ad3 tllf4 (1s ...b6!?) 16.�fl b6+:t. 1 2.tbd2 A defensive move. That same year White tried 12.'iYc2!?, which can lead to a balanced endgame: 12 ...tllc4 1 3 . gxc4 dxc4 14.tlld 2 'i!Yc6 1 5 .tllce4.

22

1 3 . . . lbg6!

Chapter 1

-

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 ... 'i&'b6 6.a3 tbh6

A) 14 ... h5!? 1 5 .gxh5 lLlf4<=t; B) The double-edged piece sacrifice 14 ...'iYxd4!? is also worthy of considera­ tion: 1 5.bxa5 lLlxe5oo - Psakhis. 1 5.g5 An odd move. 1 5.h5 is obviously more interesting, however: 1 5 ...l2Jf4 1 6.'iVf3 .ig5 1 7.lLle2? (better 1 7. .!:f.c2 lLlc6<=t) 1 7... .!lxcl+ 1 8.lLlxcl 0-0+ and Black dominated in Grischuk-Kruppa, Elista 2000. 1 5 0-0 Slightly risky, as the black king will be facing White's advanced pawns. A) Black equalized after 1 5 ... h6!? 1 6.gxh6 .!lxh6 (16 ...gxh6!? 1 7. .!lc2 lLlc4 1 8.lLlxc4 dxc4 1 9.h5 lLlf4oo Panarin­ Eraschenkov, playchess.com 2005) 1 7.h5 lLlh4 1 8.'ti'g4 lLlf5 1 9. .id3oo Grischuk-Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2003; B) Again, 1 5 ...'i!Vxd4!? is interesting, for instance: 1 6 .bxa5 �xe5+ l 7.'ijfe2 'i!Vb8�. 1 6. tlJe2 With the idea of 1 7.h5. A) If immediately 16.h5 lLlf4:+; B) 16 . .!lgl ?! is dubious: 16 ... 'ifxd4! (16 ...lLlxh4 1 7.'ifh5CXJ) l 7.bxa5 "iVxe5+ 1 8 .�e2 'itVd6t and Black has more than enough compensation; C) Another key move is 16.'iVg4!? .ixb4! l 7.axb4 �xb4<=t ...

Mikhail Gurevich.

Another possibility is 1 3 ... h5 14.l::k2 !? lLlc4! 1 5 . .ixc4 dxc4 1 6.lLlce4 lLld5 (16 ... .ia4!?) 1 7.lLlxc4 .!lxc4 1 8 . .!lxc4 a5 1 9.0-0 axb4 20.axb4 'iYd8� with a very complicated position, Ivanchuk-Bareev, Dubai 2002. 1 4.h4!? There is no way back! After 14.'iVe2?! gel 1 5.'i'!Ve3 0-0 (1 5 ...lLlh4!?) 1 6.h4oo f6 1 7.h5 lLlh8 1 8 . .!lc2 lLlc6 1 9.lLla4 'iVd8 20.exf6 .ixf6 2 1 .lLlc5 e5!t Black very convincingly exploited the drawbacks of White's set-up in Motylev-Ponomariov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005.

analysis diagram

1 4... .ie7 With a complicated game. Alternatively:

1 8 . .!lbl .!lxc3 1 9.gxc3 'ifxc3 20 . .i:th3 'i¥c7 2I . .id3 lLle7 22.h5 (22.'iff4 b5 23

Par t I -Advance Variation: 1 e. 4e 6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS 23.hS tbfs 24 . .2.xfS exf5 25 . .l::i.a 3 b4 26 . .U aal !lb8 27.I:!.cl tbc4 28.tbb3 l:!'.b5 29.°iVf3 a5+ Solodovnichenko-Del Rio Angelis, Castelldefels 2006) 22 ...tlJfS 23.'it'f4 tLlc6 24. �xfS exf5 25.g6 fxg6 26.hxg6 h6 27.tLlf3 tlJd8� Fluvia Poyatos-Gonzalez Garcia, Badalona 2005. 1 6... l:[fd8! Vacating the f8-square. This manoeuvre is much more accurate than 16 ...tlJc4? 1 7.tbxc4 dxc4 1 8 .hSt. 1 7.hS lllf8t

Now Black has the better chances, and in this game Shirov's pieces do not get to create fire on board. 1 8 . .Ug1 Ilxc1 ! 1 9.lllx c1 1 9.�xcl tLlc4t; 1 9.'tWxcl tLlc6!t. 1 9 ... lllc6 20.:94 20.tLl cb3 a5 21 .bS a4! 22.bxc6 �xc6t. 20 ... :ce 21 . lllcb3 llld e!

With the idea of 22 ... �bS ! . The rest of the game is amazing. It is played in vintage French style by Black. 24

An interesting tactical option was 2 1 ... a5!? 22.b5 tLla7 23.a4 tLlxb5! 24.axbS �xb5� with plenty of chances for Black. 22.lllcS 22.�e2 1:1c2+; 22.�d3!? �b5 23.�bloo. 22 ... ..tbS KEEP IN MIND: Strategically, the exchange ..tc8 for ilL. fl fa vours Black in most cases. Remember that in the Advance Variation, as well as in many other openings ( especially the Open Games) , the king's bishop is White's best piece! 23 . .Ug3 23.�g2 a5! 24.a4 �e8+. 23 ... .txf1 24. �xf1 a5!

Engaging in a counterattack on the op­ posite wing. 25 . .tc3 axb4 26.axb4 :Set 27.�g2 'Wb5 Intending 28 ...lllc6 and 29...b6. 28.llld 3 In this game the white knights are very slow. No better was 28.h6 g6 29.'iVfl 'iYxfl+ 30.Wxfl b6 3 1 .tLl d3 tLl c6-+ . 28 ... lllc6 Or 28 ... �xgS 29.'iVg4-+. 29. 'Wb1 l:a3 30 . .tb2 l:a8 31 .lllf3?T White does not want to have to defend in time-trouble. Better was 3 1 . �c3 �d8!+ after which Gurevich was planning ...tlJc6-e7-f5 and ... �d8-b6.

Chapter 1

31 ... tbxb4 Winning material and the game. 32. ttJf4 'ii'c4! Aiming to exchange the queens with 33 ...�cl. 33.g6 At last White makes this advance, but it is too late. 33 ... 'ii'c2 34.gxf7+ ..ti>xf7 35. 'ii'xc2 tbxc2 36.ttJh2? Another knight going nowhere. 36 ... l:ia4 36 ... b5!-+. 37.:tf3?? ltJe1 +

I �

-

8 ..txh6 Semen Dvoirys (2552) Alexey Goganov (2356)

GAME 3

the search for counterplay, playing an impressive role at the critical moments in these complicated games, right up to the end. Typi­ cal manoeuvres in this game were 1 0 ...tllfe7/tllh6, l 1 ...tlla 5/tllg 6, 2 1 ...tlld 8! and 37... tlle l+.

.

Vladimir 2009 (6)

•

•

t2J 8 8 8 888 : t2J � 'iV
White resigned. A fine victory by the Ukrainian/Bel­ gian/Turkish grandmaster.

PLAN: In many vanau ons the [fig'l black knights are the key pieces in

-

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 'ii' b6 PUZZLE: Black can avoid the Sveshnikov line 8.�xh6 with 4 ...tllc 6 5.tllf3 tllh 6!? 6.a3 (for 6.dxc5 see Game 5) 6 ...tllf5 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 'iYb6 etc., transposing to Games 1 , 2 and 4. 5.ttJf3 tbc6 6.a3 ttJh6 PUZZLE: In order to avoid all lines with �xh6, an alternative could be 6 ...tllg e7!? 7.dxc5 (the only extra opportunity for White as 7.b4 again leads to the main line) 7...'iYc7!?.

� �., , .l .l 8 8 8 � l:I 8rJJ0J �

Summary: With the modern 9 ... �d7 Black achieves a solid position. After the main answer 10.g4 White's pawns are very far advanced, but he still needs to complete his development and his king remains in the centre.

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 . . . � b6 6.a3 tbh6

analysis diagram

The pawn on e5 is the target. 8.i.bs (8.�f4?! tllg 6 9.�g3 �xc5 10.b4 �e7+ Hertneck-Psakhis, Baden-Baden 1 992) 8 ... �d7!? (or 8 ...tllg 6 9 �d4 b6!?�) 9 �el tllg 6 1 0 .ili.. xc6 �xc6!? (10 ...bxc6 l l .b4 �e7�) 1 1 .b4 b6! and Black gets more than enough compensation fo r the pawn, Kokarev-Iskusnikh, Iz hevsk 2013 . 7.b4 cxd4 8. bh6 In recent years this intermediate �xtll exchange has become grandmaster Sveshnikov's favourite weapon, but we don't know fo r how long this will be. 8 ... gxh6 9.cxd4 The key position. There are three lines to investigate here. .

.

25

Part I -Advance Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS

9 i.d7! Possibly the best move order, since it saves a tempo - in view of 1 0 .ti:Jc3? tbxb4!. For the idea 9... l::!g 8!? 1 0.h3 .11Ld 7 see the same line on the next move, by trans­ position.

1 0 .:a21? A fabulous move introduced by Russian GM Semen Dvoiris, which is an impor­ tant improvement for White: the idea is .l:tc2-tbc3!. � TRICK: 1 0.ti:Jc3? ti:Jxb4 1 1 .axb4 W .l1Lxb4+.

ffII"'- WEAPON: After the immediate 9... jlg7 10.tbc3!

ffII"'- WEAPON: 1 0 . .l1Le2 and now: A) 1 0 .. Jlg8!? 1 1 .0-0 �g4 1 2 .h3 nf4 1 3.g3 nxf3 14 . .11Lxf3 iVxd4 1 5.'iYxd4 tbxd4 16.JiLdl a5!§?; B) 10 ...ncs 1 1 .0-o .l1Lg7 1 2.b5 (12.iVd2 0-0 1 3.tbc3 tbxd4 14.tbxd4 �xe5) 1 2 ...tbxd4!? (12 ...ti:Ja5+%) 1 3 .iVxd4 �xd4 l 4.tlJxd4 .11Lx e5 1 5.nd1 .11Lxd4 1 6.nxd4 .l:f.cl+ l 7.nd1 nxdl+ 1 8 .JiLxdl J1Lxb5§? with an unclear endgame: tlJ vs 3 pawns, Zherebukh-Vysochin, Alushta 201 1 . 1 0 i.97 It may be better for Black to continue without this fianchetto: A) An important alternative is 10 ... ngS!?, which could also have been realized on the previous move: 1 1 .h3 (defending against ...ng4 and planning g2-g3) 1 1 ...h5!?N (a fresh idea: (1 1 ...ti:Je? 1 2.ti:Jc3 a5!? 1 3 .b5 a4!+% Mkrtchian-Bai, Kerner 2009) (1 1 ...l:i.c8 1 2.nc2 �e7 1 3 .g3 a6 14 . .l1Le2 f6+% Sveshnikov-Colijn, Vlissingen 201 1) 1 2 .g3 h4! 1 3.g4 h5!+% (13 ... a6!?) 1 4.g5 tbe7 (14... a5!?) 1 5.tbc3 ti:Jf5 1 6 . .l1Le2 .l1Le7 1 1.ng1 0-0-0!+ and Black is already better, Stevic-Potsch, Sankt Veit an der Glan 2014;

...

.

...

White has control of the key squares b5 and e5. However, I found counterplay even here: 1 0 ... 0-0! (10 ... f6? 1 1 .exf6 .11Lx f6 1 2.tba4 �c7 1 3 . .l1Lb5± with a clear strate­ gic plus for White) 1 1 .b5! (this is White's key idea. 1 1 . �b5?! a5!+% Rozentalis-Berg, Stockholm 2005; 1 1 .JiLd3?! is too slow: 1 1 ...f6!+% 1 2 .b5? tbxd4 1 3.tbxd4 fxe5-+ ABCG33 1 02-CapNemo, playchess.com 2009) l 1 ...'iVa5 12.'iVd2 tbe7 1 3 . .11Ld3 tbg6!? 14.0-0 �d7+% and this position remains complex. Black even won the game (on move 45) in Yilmaz-Dubov, Kocaeli tt 2014. 26

Chapter 1 B) 1 0 .. Jks is the old main move: 1 1 .l:!'.c2! a5 (1 I ...tlle 7!?N; 1 l...�g7?! 12.tllc 3! tlle 7 1 3 . �d3! 0-0 14.0- 0 f6 1 S.exf6 �xf6 1 6 .'f:Wd2± and White domi­ nated on the dark squares in Sveshnikov­ Arslanov, Moscow 201 1) 12.bS tlla 7 1 3 . l:!'.xc8+ tZ:lxc8 14.'f:Wcl!? (a novelty sug­ gested by Sveshnikov, instead of 14.�b3 �c7 1 5 . �d3 'iYcl+ 1 6 .�dl �xdl+ 1 7.Wxdl tllb 6 1 8.We2 1/2-1/2 Sveshnikov­ Malakhatko, Warsaw 201 0); however, after 14 ... l:!'.gS!? with the idea 1 5 .g3 l:!'.g4 16.�d3 l:!'.xd4! 1 7.tllxd4 �xd4 1 8 .�c3 �xc3+ 19.tllxc3 �xa3 it is difficult to evaluate this complex endgame. 1 1 .tbc3

1 1 ... 0-0 Up to here, Black has played the most natural moves. 1 l . ..f6!?N. Less good is 1 1 ...tlle ??! 1 2 . �d3 0-0 1 3.0-0 l:!'.ac8 1 4.�d2 tllg 6 1 5 .l:!'.c2 f6 16.�xg6 hxg6 1 7.exf6 .l:;!.xf6 1 8 .tZ:leS .l:;!.ds 19.l:!'.fc l ! t H.Akopyan-Abrahamyan, Los Angeles 201 1 . 1 2.lba4 'ifc7! The queen is better placed on c7. If 1 2 ...1'Wd8 1 3 .tllc st SveshnikovRamasindraibe, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010. 1 3.tbc5 1 3 . .ld.c2 f6+:t. 1 3 ... .tce 1 4.J:l.c2 a6?! With this prophylactic move Black loses the dynamics in his position. ,..,,.,. WEAPON: Of course, better is 14 .. .f6!

-

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 . . . 'f:Wb6 6.a3 tbh6

analysis diagram

1 5.exf6 (1 5.bS �as+) (15.�e2 fxeS 1 6 .dxeS tZ:lxeS!) 1 5 ... l:!'.xf6+% and the white knight on cS is overdeveloped and useless! 1 5 . .te2 1 5 . �d3!?. 1 5 ...f6D But now this break has less effect. 1 6.0-0 fxes 1 7.dxeS hes 1 7... tZ:lxeS? is not possible: 1 8 .tllx e6+-. 1 8.tbxe5 'ifxe5 1 9. .tg4 'iff6 20.J:l.e1 � 20.l:!'.e2!?t. 20 ... tlJeS?? A decisive mistake. After 20 ...tlld4D 2 1 .l:!'.d2 b6!= it is still unclear how White can improve his position. 21 . 'ife2±

Now White has a long-term initiative thanks to his good ttJ vs. the bad gcs. 21 ... tbxg4 22. 'ifxg4+ Cit>hB 23. 'ifg3 b6 24.ttJd3 a5 25.ttJeS axb4 26.axb4 J:l.a7 27. 'ife3 .td7 28.h3 J:b7 29.'ifd4 .tbs 30.J:l.e3 J:l.g7 31 .J:l.f3 'ife7 32.J:l.c7 J:l.fgB 33.ll:if7+ 1 -0 27

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS Summary: In spite of everything, the strategic idea of �clxtt::lh6 (like �d3xtt::lfS) is still not enough for an advantage. White takes the opportunity to exchange the knight be­ fore it reaches f5, giving Black a bad pawn structure. But on the other hand White gives up the bishop pair. In my opinion that is more than enough compensation for Black's structural weaknesses.

GAME 4

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1 0.exf6 TRICK: 1 0.b5?! tlJxeS!

t(

9. �e3

Jose Fernando Cubas (2463) Wesley So (2668) Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 'ifb6!? 5.ltJf3 liJc6 6.a3 ltJh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 ltJfS 9. ..te3

l l .dxe5 tt::lxe3 1 2.fxe3 VWxe3+ 1 3 .VWe2 (13 . .2.e2 fxeS+) 1 3 ...VWcl + 14.'iVd 1 led to a few short draws in practical games. However, Black can continue 14...VWb2! 1 S .tt::lbd2 fxe5 with an obvious initiative for the piece. 1 0 ... gxf6 1 1 .�d3 TRICK: l l .VWd2? tt::lxb4! was, surprisingly, seen in Sveshnikov­ Doroshkievich, Anapa 1 9 9 1 . 1 1 ...ttJxe3 1 2.fxe3 i.h6 1 3.'ife2 ..td7

t(

This is a rarely played defence of d4, which can be met with at least two at­ tractive lines. 9...f6+:t A well-known break. I prefer the natural 9... .2.d?!?, which is also good for Black: � TRICK: 10.tt::lc 3? tt::lxe3 l l .fxe3 W tt::lxb4! 12.axb4 �xb4 1 3 . �cl �c8 14.VWb3 VWa5 1 5 .@d2 0-0 16 . ..td3 f6!+: and Black has the initiative. 1 0 . .2.d3 tt::lxe3 (10 ... nc8!? Scavo­ Moskalenko, Badalona 2002) l l .fxe3 l:i.c8 1 2.0-0 .2.e7 1 3 .tt::lbd2 tt::ld 8!? with the typical idea of playing ... .2.bS (13 ...tt::lb 8!? is similar) 14.�e2 .!:f.c3+:t Baklan-Moskalenko, Donetsk Zonal 1 998. 28

The main position in this line; the game is balanced. 1 4.0-0 An alternative line is 14.tt::lc 3 tt::le 7!? (de­ fending against a possible tt::la4) 1 5 .0-0 and now 1 5 ... 0-0-0!? ( 1 5 ... I:f.c8 is simi­ lar to the main game) 1 6.a4 @b8 1 7.aS VWd6 (17...�xb4!?) 1 8 .bS eS!+: Haria­ Neelotpal, Sunnydale 201 1 . 1 4 ...0-0 I like 14 ... 0-0-0!? 1 5 .tt::lc 3 tt::le7, as above.

Chapter 1

-

Looking for Satisfaction: 5 . . . � b6 6.a3 @ 6

1 5.ta:3 1 5 .@hl CiJe7 1 6.CiJc3 also leads to the main game. 1 5 ... 0.e7

1 6. .l:.ae1 Or, for instance, 16.@hl l'.:!.ac8 1 7.CiJdl .2.g7 1 8.CiJf2 e5! 19.dxe5 fxe5 20.e4 d4 2 1 . l:lacl CiJg6 22 . .!:f.xc8 .2.xc8 23.g3 .2.h6 and Black is clearly better, Morozevich­ Bareev, Monaco (blind) 2002. 1 6 ... .l:.ac8 1 7. ttJd1 .teB!?N The safest option. Black is planning ... .2.g6. 1 7... .2.g7!?=F Krapivin-Matveeva, Moscow 2004. 1 8.@h1 @h8 1 9.g4 .tg6!? 20. .txg6 ttJxg6 21 .h4 'if d6! 22.hS 0.eTf.

With natural play, Black has achieved an advantageous position, but later he gives White the chance to escape. 23.e4?! 'ifg3! 24. 'ifg2 'ifxg2+ 25.@xg2 dxe4 25 .. JkH+; 25 .. JkJ+. 26.lbe4 ttJdS 27.@g3 fS 27.. Jk6!?+. 28.lbe6 .tf4+ 29.@h4 fxg4 30.@xg4 .tc1 31 .l:l.eS l:l.cd8 32.l:l.f2 l:l.g8+ 33.@h4 h6 34. .tl.fS .tf4 35. 0.eS bes 36.lbes ttJxb4 37.l:l.e4 ta:s 38.l:ff4 l:l.g2 39.tl:if2 l:l.h2+ 40.tl:ih3 l:l.d2 41 .l:l.e6 l:l.2xd4 42.lbh6+ @91 43.:gs+ @he 44.l:l.hs+ @91 45.l:l.g6+ <;i;ih8 46.l:l.h6+ @g7 %-%

Summary of Chapter 1 The plans with an early ... 'lWb6 probably mark the most dynamic and effective de­ fence against the Advance Variation. In the main line, the modern variation, with 5 .. �b6 6.a3 CiJh6 7.b4 . . . .

... White tries to control the entire board. He defends his d4-pawn and gains more space, and his minor pieces will be comfortably placed (especially after tlJc3). How­ tYer. things are not so clear and Black has several ways of achieving counterplay. 29

Pan I

-

AdvanceVariation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es

The two key positions in this variation are: 1 - Deviation

This is the moment to choose between 6 ...tllh6 or the even more flexible 6 ... tllge7. 2-Which black bishop should be developed first?

The old 9... �e7, or the modern 9... �d7, allowing 1 0 .g4; since 2005 this has been the favourite line of black players. The answers can be found in the comments to the important Games 1 and 2. In my opinion, there are opportunities for both sides to improve their play in the opening as there are some tactical resources at key mo­ ments, mentioned in Games 1-4. These games contain many secondary lines that can be considered equivalent.

Chapter 2

-

Bringing the King's Knight Straight into Play

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.es cs 4.c3 ltJc6 5.ltJf3 •

Game 5: S ..tLlh6 .

This move order might be more flexible than the immediate 5 . .'Uib6, and offers several plans to choose from in this complex position (Sveshnikov-Moskalenko, 1993). .

•

Game 6: S t2Jge7 •••

:\n expert in the French on the black side, grandmaster Mikhail Gurevich, is a very srrong champion of this set-up. White has many options on move 6. A well-known manoeuvre is 6.lLla3 ! ? ; after <:..-t 3 -c2 the pawn on d4 will be sufficiently protected. However, with simple play 3lack can equalize, and, what's more, there is a lot of room for active counterplay. See :he many alternatives for White and Black in the game Jonkman-Gurevich ( 1 997) .

31

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 .e5

GAME 5 - 5 .. . tllh 6 Evgeny Sveshnikov (2555) Viktor Moskalenko (2555) Rostov-on-Don 1 993

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 ltJc6 5.tbf3 tbh6!?

.i .t 'if • ..t i. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. � � .t. .t. .t. 8 ti 8 t2J 88 �8� � t2J � 'ii1' � � � Another creative possibility. 6.dxc5!? According to specialist GMs Sveshnikov and Kortchnoi this is the most dangerous answer. Let's check some other ideas: A) The move 6.a3 after 6 ...tl:if5!? al­ most brings us back to Game 1 ; B) I think 6.�xh6?! is a mistake: 6 ... gxh6 7.�d3 (7.�e2 �g7!? 8.0-0 0-0 9.tl:ia3 cxd4 1 0.cxd4 f6�) (7.�b5 �d7 8.'t!Ve2 a6 9.�xc6 �xc6�) 7...'t!Vb6 8.'t!Vd2 �d7!? 9.dxc5 �c7! 1 0.�f4 �g7� and Black's pieces are excellently placed; C) Grandmaster Kupreichik against the author tried 6.�e2 tllf5 7.g4 (White must attack the knight. If 7.0-0? cxd4 8.cxd4 �b6+ or 7.dxc5 �xc5 8.0-0 'i'c7!� Koubek-Slosar, Czechia tt 2001 /02) 7...tl:ih4

I think that Black i s better here: 8.tllxh4 �xh4 9.�e3 �d7 (9... cxd4 1 0.cxd4 f6=F) 10.tl:id2 (1 0.0-0 f6 l l .f4 fxe5 1 2.dxe5 g5! 1 3.tl:ia3 0-0-0 14.tl:ib5 h5! 1 5 .fxg5 hxg4 1 6.�f4 a6 1 7.tl:id6+ �xd6 1 8.exd6 g3 ! 19 . ..txg3 �xg5� Kupreichik­ Moskalenko, Blagoveschensk 1 988) 1 0 ... cxd4 l 1 .tLlf3 �d8 (1 1 ...�xg4!) 12.cxd4 h5 1 3 .gxh5 :r.xh5 14.h4oo with a com­ plicated game, Kupreichik-Moskalenko, Lviv 1988; D) Surprisingly, the most popular move is 6 . ..td3 cxd4 (6 .. .f6 is suggested by Watson in Dangerous Weapons) 7.cxd4 tLlf5 8. �xf5 exf5 9.tLlc3 �e6=F.

analysis diagram

White has nothing in this structure. See also similar examples in Game 1 and Game 6. 1 0.tLle2 �e7 l l .h4 h6!? (a useful move, preventing the placing of any white piece on g5, and at the same time supporting ... g7-g5) 1 2.tt:Jf4 'i'b6 13 . .l:ih3 g6! (if immediately 13 ... 0-0-0?! 14.h5!, ruling out Black's resource ...g7-g5) 14.Wfl 0-0-0! 1 5 .Wgl g5!t Nun-Moskalenko, Pardubice Open 1 994. 6 ... .bc5 TRICK: A well-known trick is 6 ...tllg4? 7.�a4! and Black cannot capture either pawn, Kupreichik­ Kaidanov, Lvov 1988, and Sveshnikov-Bareev, Cheliabinsk 1 99 1 .

t(

analysis diagram

32

7.b4!

Chapter 2

-

Bringing the King's Knight Straight into Play: S . . . ll1h6/ S ... tllge 7

This advance is more logical than the direct exchange 7.�xh6?! gxh6 8 .b4 �f8! (intending ... �g7) 9.bS 0ie7 10.�d3 �g7 1 1 .0-0 0ig6 1 2.!:f.el �c7 1 3.�a4 0-0 14.�d4 f6! with an initia­ tive for Black in the centre, Almeida­ Moskalenko, Fuerteventura 1992. 7 ... �b6!

/fl*- WEAPON: An interesting re­ source is 8 ... 0ig4!? 9.bxc6 0ixf2 1 0.cxb7 �xb7 l 1 .'iVa4+ �f8oo.

I. I. j_ � · .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. � j_ � .t. .t. l'.i

The retreat 7... �f8?! is absurd now, since White has not played �xh6. 8.bS I have tried another interesting possibil­ ity after 8.�xh6 gxh6 9.bS: 9...CiJaS!?N, with the idea of sacrificing the h6-pawn (9...0ie7 is similar to the main game):

analysis diagram

I O.�d3 (10.'iVd2 'iVc7 l l .'iVxh6 'iVcSg:]) ! O ...�e7 1 1 .0-0 �d7 1 2 .�cl �f8 13.'iff4 0-0-0! (with the idea ...
With an extremely complicated position. 9.�d3 tt:lg6 Or 9...0ig4 1 0.0-0 �c7 l l .�e2 0ig6 1 2 . �xg6 hxg6 1 3 . �a3 �d7 14.�d6 �c8 1 5.a4 a6<=%. 1 0.0-0

1 0... 0-0 Later I played 1 0 ...'iVc7!? l 1 .'iYe2 0-0 12.�a3 �cs (12 ... .!:ld8!? 1 3 . �d6 l::rxd6 14.exd6 �xd6g:]) 1 3.�xcS 'iYxcS 14.CiJd4 f6 (14 ...0if4! I S.'iVf3 CiJxd3 16.'t!!Yxd3 a6=F) 1 5.�xg6 hxg6 1 6.exf6 .l:f.xf6<=t and Black had no problems in Rojas-Moskalenko, Badalona 2007. 1 1 . hh6 gxh6 1 2.a4 TRICK: If White plays the natu­ ral 12.0ibd2, Black can continue 1 2 ...0if4!? (or 1 2 ... f6!<=t) 1 3 .'iYc2 �h8!? with the idea 14.�xh7?? fS! 1 5.exf6 �xf6-. with a strong initiative.

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33

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS

1 2 ...f6 Guaranteeing Black counterplay. Activating the queen first by 1 2 ...'iVc7!?, with pressure on the white pawns on c3 and eS, is more ambitious. 1 3 . ..ixgSD There is no other way to defend the cen­ tre. 1 3 ... hxg6 1 4. 'ifd3 @g7 1 5.tllbd2

27.tlld 4 ..id7 2a.f4!? i..e7 29. tlleS .tea 30 . ..ti>f2 ..ib4! 31 . tbc4 .tcs 32.'0te3 ..id7 33.b6 axb6 34.lllxb6 .tc6 35.g3 35.Wd3 �xb6!=. 35 ... ..ig2 36.@d3 ..ib4 37. tllb3 �6 aa.@c4 ..ie1 39.g4 h5 40.tlld7+ 'Ote6 41 .tt:JdcS+ 'Otd6 42.tlld 3 ..id5+ 43.@d4 ..ih4 44.tt:JbcS hxg4 45. tlle4+ ..ixe4 46.@xe4 g3= 1/z-1/z Summary: 5 . . .tLlh6 is an interesting alternative for Black, with many possibilities for both sides. However, White can play 6.a3 and return to the paths of 6 ...'iVb6 7.b4, a line that has already been analysed in Games 1 and 2.

We can see that Sveshnikov has achieved no advantage in our second game either. 1 5 ... .td7 1 6.c4 fxeS 1 7.cxdS 1 7.tLlxeS �e8 1 8.tLldf3 .l:i.c8µ. 1 7 ... exd5 1 a. 'ifxd5 .�.fS! 1 9. 'ifxe5+ Not l 9.'iVxb7+? J;;lf7, winning, since the white queen has difficulty in escaping. 1 9... 'iff6gg Black has an equal game thanks to his active bishops. 20.:tfe1 'ifxeS 21 .:XeS :Sea 22.:Xea :Xea 23.aS ..ida 24.tbc4 i..f6 25.l:td1 :tda 26.:Xda hda

ii

Vlissingen 1 997 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 tbc6 5.tt:Jf3 tt:Jge7

.t

The game is moving towards a draw (NB9/d in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Endings) . 34

GAME 6 - 5 ... tLlge7 Harmen Jonkman (2365) Mikhail Gurevich (2620)

The only problem of this move is that it allows a new option for White. 6.tt:Ja3!? With the idea tLlc2: to protect d4 and then develop the kingside. White's alternatives are: PUZZLE: Again, 6.a3 transposes to Chapter 1 . And for 6.�d3/�el see the lines in the previous game.

*

Chapter 2 - Bringing the King's Knight Straight into Play: 5 ... lbh6! 5 . . . tt:Jge7 After the weak 6.dxc5?!, 6 ...lllg 6! leads to a typically better structure for Black: 7.ke3 (7.b4 lllg xe5+) 7 ... lllg xe5 8 .lllx e5 lllx e5 9.llld 2 'ti'c7! 1 0 .b4 b6!+

San Diego ch-USA 2004) 9... �b4+ (9... kd7!? is the main game) 10.Wfl ke7 l l .h4 and now the typical break l l ...f6!?N is the right way to solve the opening problems.

analysis diagram

l l .�b5+?! (1 1 .c4 bxc5!?+) l i ...kd7 12.cxb6 axb6 13.�xd7+ lllxd7 14.'iUb3 kd6+ Honfi-Moskalenko, St Ingbert 1989. 6 ... cxd4 7.cxd4 llJfS 8.lLic2

The critical position. In spite of the fact chat the pawn on d4 is well protected, Black still has some active options here. 8 .td7 :\ waiting move, which does not worsen the position. /fl"- WEAPON: As in all games of Chapter 1 , I like the idea 8 ...'ifb6!? threatening 9 . �b4+. Sveshnikov gives the following lines a.s exemplary for White, but I do not see any danger: 9.�d3 (9. .£e2 �b4+ 10.Wfl il.e7 l l .g3 �d7 !2.il.d2N 0-0 1 3.h4 f6! +:t 14.g4 lllfxd4! 1 5 .lllcxd4 fxe5 :6."2lxc6 bxc6� Nakamura-Ibragimov, ...

.

.

analysis diagram

The idea is l 2.g4 fxe5! 1 3.gxf5 (13.dxe5 lllh 6+) 13 ... e4 14.lllg 5 kxg5 1 5.hxg5 exd3 1 6.'ti'xd3 exf5 and Black's chances are at least not worse. But not 8 ...lllb4?!. GM Psakhis: 'Although this reply has proved quite popular, I re­ main suspicious about its value.' 9.ke2 (9.lllxb4 �xb4+ 1 0.kd2;;!;;) 9... lllxc2+ 1 0 .'ti'xc2 'ti'as+ (I O ... �b4+ 1 i . kd2 kxd2+ 1 2.'iVxd2;;!;;) l i . kd2 kb4 1 2.a3 kxd2+ 1 3.'ti'xd2 'ti'xd2+ 14.Wxd2;;!;; . 'This is a very typical position. Maybe with correct play Black can hold it, but the defence i.s not easy at all!' - Psakhis (CBM series). 9. ..td3 tfl"- WEAPON: 9. ..te2!? is also popular and complicated:

•

lb 8 8 l2J � 8 8 /J:, n l:l: � 'iVw analysis diagram

35

Part I -Advance Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .eS 9 ... .l::i.c 8 (9 ... 'Yi'b6 is similar) 1 0.0-0 (10.�d2 bS!? 1 1 .�xbS tt:'ixeS 1 2 . �xd7+ ll'Jxd7=F Zvonitsky-Moskalenko, Kharkov 1 984) 1 0 ...'i'b6 l l .�d3 (1 1 .g4 tt:'ife7 l 2 .tt:'ih4 ll'Jg6=F Sveshnikov-Atalik, Bled 1 999; 1 1 .�hl tt:'iaS! 1 2 .g4 tt:'ie7 1 3.tt:'ifel hS! 14.gxhS .1l.bs 1 S.ti:Jd3 tt:'ifs+ Jonkman-Giaccio, Pinamar 2006) 1 1 ...tt:'ib4!? 1 2.lDxb4 gxb4 1 3 .�hl �e7 14.g4 ti:JM 1 S.tt:'ixh4 �xh4 1 6 . ge3 Sl.e7 1 7.'i'e2 0-0 1 8.f4 f6= Dvoirys-Lysyj. Khanty-Mansiysk 201 3 . 9... 'it'b6!? 1 0.0-0! 10.i[xfS?! exfS 1 1 .0-0 h6!? 1 2 .a3 aS 1 3 . ;c[el i[e6 14.M ge7+.

8

1 1 ...tt:'ib4! (1 1 ...tt:'ifxd4?? i s still wrong: 1 2.tt:'ifxd4 tt:'ixd4 1 3 . j(e3 j(cs 14.b4! axb4 1 S .11t.xd4 �xd4 16.nxb4+-) 1 2.tt:'ixb4 (12.£,xfS exfS=) 1 2 ... axb4+ 1/2- 1/2 Carlsen-Porat, Budapest 2003; B) 1 l .a3 a4!? (Again, 1 I ...tllfxd4? 1 2.tt:'ifxd4 tt:'ixd4 1 3 . .te3 �cs 14.b4 axb4 1 S.'i'g4!± Kravchenko-Cherniy, Moscow 2006) 12.�xfS exfS 1 3.tt:'ifel tt:'ias 14.ll'Jd3 tt:'ib3 1 s.nb1 .1l.e7 16.tllf4 ge6= Haba-Kristjansson, Pardubice 2002. 1 1 ...exfS=F According to GM Sveshnikov 'White has more space'. However, GMs M.Gurevich and myself, we would like to continue on the black side.

4J

8 4J 88 : � 'iV : �I analysis diagram

Preparing the typical break ... g7-gS, Blees-Gurevich, Gent 1 997. 1 0 ... aS!? � TRICK: 1 0 ...ti:Jfxd4?? 1 1 .ti:Jfxd4 • tt:'ixd4 1 2 . ge3 i[cs 1 3.b4!+-. 1 1 .i.xfS This exchange (�d3xtt:'ifS) usually leads to fairly balanced strategic positions. A) 1 1 .t!'.bl

1 2 . .i.e3 Here are some more typical examples: PLAN: 1 2 . .lle l h6 1 3.'i'd3 e6 �IS( 14.gd2 �e7 1 S .a3 gS!?� HorrZaragatski, Berlin 200S.

f�l

f�l

�

PLAN:

1 2 . t!'.bl h6 1 3.M ge7

�IS( 14.hS �e6 l S.tllfel gs (lS ... o-o+) 1 6 .hxg6 fxg6 1 7.tlld3 gs� Kositsin-Chebotarev, Sochi 200S. 1 2 .ti:Je3 �e6 1 3 .g3 h6 14.M �lIS( PLAN: ge7 1 S .ti:Jg2 0-0-0!? (15 ... 0-0

analysis diagram

36

1 6 .tllf4 �fc8= Dominguez Perez­ Ibragimov, Sochi 2012) 1 6.a3 t!'.hg8 1 7.'i'd3 gS!t Alarcon­ Cordova, Lima 2006. 12 .. llJdB .

Chapter 2

-

Bringing the King's Knight Straight into Play: 5 ... lllli 6!5 . . . tbge7

l 2 ... h6!? is more typical. 1 3.l:[b1 h6 13 ... tDe6!? was more logical now. 1 4.h4?!

This pseudo-defence against ... g7-g5 only weakens White's kingside. 1 4 ... �e7 1 5.h5?! llle6 1 6.g3 g5!?t 16 ... 0-0+. 1 7.hxgG fxg6 1 8.lllh 2? �b5 Black is using the entire board. 1 8 ... h5!?. 1 9. l:[e1 'ii'a6 20. .:c1 h5! 21 . llla3 .ic6 22. 'ii'e2 'ii'xe2 23 . .:Xe2 g5!-+

Attacking even without the queens. White's position will remain too passive until the end. 24.f4 g4 24... M!. 25.lllf 1 @d7 26.l:th2 b5!? 27.lllc2 b4 28. llle1 �b5 29. �f2 h4!

30 . .rJ.d1 �xf1 31 .@xf1 hxg3 32. hg3 .:Xh2 33. �xh2 l:th8 34.@g2 l:[h3 35.l:[d3 �h4! 36.l:[d1 .:ea 37.llld 3 g3 38.lllcS+ lllx c5 39.�g1 l:[d3 0-1

Summary of Chapter 2: The alternatives 5 ... 4Jh6 (Game 5) and 5 ... tt:Jge7 (Game 6) are great support for the main ideas discussed in Chapter I .

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS

Chapter 3

-

Don't Touch the French Bishop on c8!

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4.c3 In this chapter we examine the passive set-up with an early ... �d7 (Games 7 and 8). •

Game 7: A quite wrong idea is 4 ...'i!Vb6 S.tlJf3 �d7?!, following up with 6 ... i.bS.

For a long time this was one of Black's most popular options. However, the plan of exchanging the 'bad French bishop' might be too slow. White has to react dynami­ cally, trying to open the centre: see Grischuk-Morozevich (20 1 1). Game 8 4. ..tt:Jc6 S.tlJf3 i.d7?! 6.i.e2 tlJge7 7.0-0! Later, in the semi-finals of the same tour­ nament (Khanty-Mansiysk 201 1), Black lost two decisive games in rapid chess. •

Russian Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk is another 'expert/fanatic' on the white side of the Advance Variation. He has won all his theoretical duels against the slow set-up with . . . .fl.d7 .

38

-

Chapter 3

-

Don't Touch the French Bishop on c8!: 4. . . / 5 . . . �d7

Don't Touch the French Bishop on c8! - Games GAME 7 4 .id7 Alexander Grischuk (2746) Alexander Morozevich (2694) -

...

Khanty-Mansiysk 201 1 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4.c3 i.d7?! White's main idea in the Advance Variation is to get a space advantage, while Black usually presses against White's centre. 5.tllf3 'ii' b6

.! � .t. .t. �

.t. .t. .t. 8 8 8 ttJ 888 88 Jd ttJ � 'iV � � Jd .t

9 ...'iVc4?! (probably safer is 9 ...'tWd7!?oo) 10.�b2!N (less good is 1 0.�e3 ltJd7 1 1 .ltJd2 'iYd3 1 2.c4 dxc4 1 3.ltJbS l::.c 8oo Kotronias-Zhu Chen, Gibraltar 201 1) 1 O ...lt:Jc6 (10 ...ltJd7 1 l .f4!?) 1 l .ltJd2 �d3 1 2.ltJxc6 bxc6 1 3.c4!t with nice attack­ ing ideas for White: h4-l::.h 3, l::.c l-c3, or simply 'iYa4!. 6 ... cxd4 TRICK: The main point is 6 ... ltJc6?! 7.dxc5! �xc5 8.0-0;:!;; with the idea 8 ...tt:Jge7?? (8 ...'iYc7 9.b4t) 9.b4, winning the bishop on c5 . Or, after the even more common 6 ... �b5, now 7.dxc5! �xc5 8.b4! . The arising complications mainly favour White:

V

i� • �i .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. � .t � .t. 8 • 8 fl �

Therefore, exchanging the French bishop (... �d7-�b5) is too slow and too passive. White has many pleasant op­ tions to develop the initiative. Let's see: 6.i.d3!? Still an interesting line is 6.a3 !? �bS (6 ... lt:Jc6?! 7.b4 is advantageous for White) 7.�xbS+ 'iYxbS 8.b4 cxd4 and now 9.ltJxd4!? (instead of the old 9.cxd4 <:_d7oo)

8 ... �xd30 (8 ... �xf2+? 9.We2±; or 8 ... �e7? 9.�e3 'iVa6 10.�c2!±, and similarly, after 8 ... �f8? 9. �e3 'iYa6 10.�c2!±) 9.'ifxd3 �f8 10.�e3 'iYc7 1 1 .0 - 0 CiJe7 1 2 .CiJa3 a6 1 3.c4!

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

39

Part I - AdvanceVariation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5 13 ... tLlbc6 14. .fi.cS! 4:lxe5 1 5.4:lxe5 'iVxe5 1 6 . .l:lfel and White gets a dangerous initiative for the pawn that disappeared from e5, T.Hansen-Djurhuus, Moss 2006. 7.tlJxd4!

8 ... .2.xc6 (or 8 ... bxc6 9.0-0 tLlel 10.tLld2 4:lg6 l 1 .tLlf3 ii.el 1 2 . .l:l.'.el cS 13.Ilbl �bS 14. .2.c2! aS 15.tLlgS!? 1:1d8 16.b3 .!::!.d l ll.'iYf3 Ji.d8 1 8 .'iVh3t Ehlvest-Ibragimov, Las Vegas 2003) 9.'li'e2 4:le7 10.tLld2!N.

.i

• .t .I ii �iii 'iV.t i i8 8 il 8 8 CLJ VJ/i 8 8 8 .ld .ld � � analysis diagram

The key concept in this line: White is trying to blockade the centre with his pieces. Of course, less interesting is l.cxd4 4:lc6!? (the gambit - see Chapter 3) or even l... ilbs. 7... �cs Black is going to win a pawn on d4: 8 ... .2.xd4 and 9...'iYxd4. Quite risky, but what else is there? I suspect that White's chances are slightly better in any case: A) l...tLlel 8 .tLld2 (8.0-0!?) 8 ...4:lbc6 9.4:lxc6 4:lxc6 1 o.'iYe2 'iYcl l l .4Jf3 (1 1 . f4!?) l 1 ...h6 1 2.0-0 ii.el 1 3.ne1 t.

analysis diagram

In this position, kingside castling can be very dangerous for Black, Vallejo Pons-Rustemov, Mondariz 2002. B) After the natural l...4:lc6 8.4:lxc6! White also keeps a clear initiative: 40

GM Psakhis: 'White's knight soon will come to the important d4-square and it is not easy for Black to organize any counterplay - White's advantage may not be big but it is very stable.' 1 0 ...4:lg6 l 1 .tLlf3 ii.el 1 2.0-0 'li'cl 1 3 . .2.dU .fi.d7 (here again, castling is problematic: 1 3 ... 0-0 14.h4!-+) 14 . .!::f.ael !? Black is almost in zugzwang, Grischuk-Gurevich, Wijk aan Zee 2002. 8.0-0! The alternative 8 .'iVg4?! leads to extremely sharp play after 8 ...tLlel! 9.�xgl?! (9.0-0!? is safer) 9... l:lg8 1 0.'iVf6 .l:!.xg2t and Black should be better, Volokitin-Volkov, Dresden Ech 2007. 8 ... .b:d4 9.cxd4 'ii'xd4 9... 4:lc6 1 0 . .fi.e3!?. 1 0.llJc3N

Chapter 3

-

Don't Touch the French Bishop on c8! : 4. . . / S . . . �d7

In comparison with the usual Advance Gambit (see Chapter 4), here White has two bishops and an extra tempo. 10.�b3? is the old move (Komandirchik­ Permiakova, Kherson 2008): 10 ... 4Jc6!+:. 1 0 ... a6 After 1 0 ...�h4 l l .g3 (1 1 ..l:i.el !?) l l...�d8 12 .�g4 Wf8D ...

analysis diagram

... White has long-term compensation for the pawn: 1 3.�e3 tlJe7 14.gcs !Llbc6 1 5.�d6 Wg8 1 6.b4 hS 1 7.�f4 !Llg6 18.�xg6 fxg6 1 9.4Je2 gS 20.'li!Vd2 a6 2 1 ..l:i.acl g4 22.a4 �e8 23.bS axbS 24.axbS tt:Jas 25 . .l:i.c7 tlJc4 26.�gsgg and White won on move 43 in Ni Hua-Zhou Weiqi, Danzhou 2012. 1 1 . .l:l.e1 ! I l . �e3!? �xeS 1 2 . .l:i.el gg_ 1 1 ... �c6 1 1 ...tlJc6 1 2. �e3t. 1 2. 0e2!t 'ifg4 Black loses more tempi. TRICK: But after 1 2 ...�xeS?? 1 3.4Jg3 �cl 14.�g4 g6 1 5.�d4 White is winning, Areschenko­ Rustemov, Germany Bundesliga 2013/14.

1 3.h3 'ti'h5 1 4. �f4 This square was also good for the knight. For instance, 14.'li!Vd2!? 4Jd7 1 S .4Jf4i, or first 14.�e3!?. 1 4 ... �b5

In a slightly strange way, finally Black has managed to carry out the main idea of this line! 1 5. 'ifb3 My computer found a much stronger line: 1 5 .'li!Vcl ! tlJc6 1 6 .4Jg3 �h4 and now 1 7. �e4! �d8 ( 1 7... h6 1 8 . �xdS!) 1 8.a4 with a great initiative for White. 1 5 ... 0e7 1 6. �xb5+ axb5 1 7. 1Wxb5+ ttJbc6 1 8. 1Wxb7 0-0;: 1 9. 'it'b3 .l:l.ab8 1 9... .l:i.fc8!?�. 20.'ifc3;!;;

From the ensuing complex middlegame, we can learn how White increases a small advantage (now also including one extra pawn) to a full point: 20... .l:l.fce 21 . 'ird2 h6 22 . .l:l.ac1 'ifh4 23.b3 ttJf5 24.g4! ttJfe7 25.'iii>g2 .1:1.ae 26.l:C5 f5 27.gxfS tbxf5 28. .l:l.ec1 tixe7 29. .1:1.xce+ tbxce 30. .l:l.c6 'ire7 31 . 'ifc2 'ireB 32.a4 'irg6+ 33.�g3 tixe7 34.ttJf4 Vf7 35. .:tc7 g5 36.0e2 l:l.fB 37.a5 h5 38.'it'd2 'irg6 39.a6 h4 41

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4- e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es

40. ..th2 g4 41 . llJf4 'ifgs 42. 'i!fe2 llJh6 43.:Xe7 gxh3+ 44.r.fi>xh3 'ifxe7 4S.ll)g6 'i!fb4 46.llJxfB r.fi>xf8 47.a7 'Was 48. ..tf4 llJf5 49. 'ifhS @g7 so. 'ii'gS+ 'iti>h7 51 . 'ifhS+ @g7 S2 . ..tg5 'ifc3+ S3. r.fi>g2 h3+ S4. 'i!fxh3 'it'c6 S5 . ..tf6+ r.fi>g6 S6.'i!fg4+ 1 -0 Grandmaster Vasily Ivanchuk has been recognized as maybe the best theoreti­ cal player of all time - and in all possi­ ble openings - but he still needs more knowledge, strategic as well as tactical, of the French Defence. In the starting position of this line, after losing an important tempo with the French bishop, Black is too passive. See what went wrong in the following game.

GAME S Alexander Grischuk (2746) Vasily lvanchuk (2768) Khanty-Mansiysk (rapid) 201 1 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.eS c5 4.c3 llJc6 S. llJf3 ..td7? !

Black plays slowly, not applying the dy­ namic idea of the opening: the direct attack on d4! 6 . ..te2 llJge7 7.0-0;t; Now Black is too passive. 7... llJg6 The same strategy, although it was an 'improvement' by Ivanchuk. However, the knight is badly placed on g6: it does not attack d4, and it can be punished with h2-h4-h5 . 42

A) The main point is 7 ... cxd4 8.cxd4 and now 8 ...tt'lfs is too late: 9.tt'lc3! 'iVb6 1 0 .tt'la4;;!;; B) In the previous game of the match Ivanchuk played 7...tt'lfS, but with the same result.

analysis diagram

Black seems to be ready to attack d4, however: 8 .dxcS! (instead of 8.tt'la3, see the comment in Game 6) 8 ... .2.xcS 9. .2.d3 tt'lfe7 (9 ... tt'lh4 10.tt'lbd2 0-0 1 l .b4 tt'lxf3+ 12.tt'lxf3 �e7 1 3.'iVc2 h6 14.bS tt'las 1 5.'iVa4 fS 16.exf6 �xf6 1 7.tt'leS b6 1 8.�e3± Mitrovic-S.Popov, Vrnjacka Banja tt 1 996) 1 O.ti:Jbd2 ti:Jg6 1 l .tt'lb3 �b6 1 2.I:f.el 'iVb8 (now eS is Black's tar­ get) 1 3.�e2 �c7 14 . .2.xg6 ('A forced ex­ change, which, however, has the merit of increasing White's overall control on the dark squares' - GM Marin, CBM 145). 14 ... hxg6 1 5.h4 I:t.hs 1 6 . .2.gS (the computer suggests 16.tt'lcS!±; or 16.�f4!?;;!; with the idea 1 6 .. .f6? 1 7.tt'lcs fxe5 1 8.tt'lgS!-+) 1 6 ...tt'lxeS 1 7.tt'lxeS .2.xe5 1 8.'iVxeS 'iVxeS 19.I:f.xeS f6 20.�e3 fxgS 21 .hxgS i::t.xgS 22.tt'lcS. White won this slightly better endgame on move 44, Grischuk­ Ivanchuk, Khanty-Mansiysk (rapid) 201 1 . 8.g3 Preparing h2-h4, instead of the common 8 . Qe3 'iVb6!?. 8... ..te7 Black prefers to castle first, since he is not well prepared for activity: 8 .. .f6 9.exf6! 'iVxf6 1 0 . .2.gs 'iYf7 1 1 . �e3!N (1 1 . c4!? Vysochin-Grigoriants, S t Petersburg

Chapter 3 - Don't Touch the French Bishop on c8! : 4. . . /5 . . �d7 .

2002) l l ...cxd4 1 2.cxd4;!;; and White can play for the initiative. 9.h4! 0-0 1 O.h5 tbh8

� .1 • � .t i. i i i � i ii8 8 8 8 0i 8 88 �8 I:r C/J � 'iV � � .I ii

One does not need to be a grandmaster m evaluate this position - White is bet­ Ier according to all the chess rules. 1 1 .dxc5! 1 1 .h6!?. 1 1 ... .b:c5 1 2.b4 l 2.c4!?; 1 2.tl'ibd2!?. 1 2 ... ..te7 1 3.b5 tba5 1 4.h6 l+.gd3!?. 1 4...f5 1 5.hxg7 'iti>xg7 1 6. 'iti>g2 tbg6 1 7. .J:[h1 .J:[f7 1 8 . ..th6+ 'iti>h8 1 9.tbbd2 'ilrc7

20Jk1 The rest of the game was played in ex­ treme time-trouble, leading to a huge number of amazing mistakes by both players. After the immediate 20.c4! White was probably winning. 20 ... :ge 21 .c4 d4 22. �d3 22.tl'ib3 !?. 22 ... bG 23.tbxd4 'ii'xe5 24.tb2f3 'ii'c7 25.tbg5 �xg5 26.bg5 e5!+t 27. 'ii'h 5? �c8! 28.c5?? exd4 29.cxbG �b7+?? 29...'li'xb6+. 30.@g1 ?? 30.f3±. 30 ... 'ii'e5 31 . .J:[c7 :Xc7 32.bxc7 .J:[g7 32 ... gxhl+. 33 . .J:[h2?

33 ... :Xc7?? The last turn on this rollercoaster track. 33 .. .f4 was winning for Black. 34. 'ii'xg6 .J:[c1 + 35 . .b:c1 1 -0

Summary of Chapter 3 -=-he early development of the c8-bishop is probably a waste of time, since it allows \\-hite to castle and develop an initiative. Clearly, even elite grandmasters do not know the best moves and set-ups to defend 3.gainst the Advance Variation! The best and most dynamic concept for Black is to immediately create pressure 3.gainst the centre: by attacking the d4-pawn.

43

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 .eS

Chapter 4

-

The Problematic 6. il.d3

Game 9 - The Milner-Barry Gambit 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 lbc6 5.lllf3 'i!Vb6 6. ..td3

In the 1 850s, when the main Advance move 6.a3 was not discovered yet, Paulsen used to play the natural move 6 . .2.d3, but he experienced problems after Black's log­ ical answer 6 ...cxd4 7.cxd4 .2.d7, attacking the pawn on d4 - since White's gambit idea of 8.0-0 appeared in practice only much later, in the middle of the Twentieth Century! The Gambit Accepted: 6 ...cxd4 7 .cxd4 �d7 8.0-0 tlJxd4

This normally leads to the Milner-Barry Gambit, in which White gives up one or two central pawns for quick development.

German master Louis Paulsen ( 1 8 3 3 - 1 89 1 ) . After many years of playing 6. �d3, without much success, he finally introduced 6.a31 in 1 8 7 9 .

44

.-:::- STATISTICS: 2549 games = 47,4%, a slightly negative score for White. This gambit has now been relegated to the rare sidelines, but we should also look at new ideas here, for example on White's 9-I Oth moves: 9.tbxd4 'iYxd4 I O.tbc3.

Chapter 4 The Problematic 6. �d3 -

Instead of the risky 10 ...�xeS (main game), Black has some possible improvements on move 1 0 , mainly the prophylactic 1 0 ... a6!?.

This rules out tDb5, while keeping the position closed. We will test four attacking ideas for White: 1 1. .�el , 1 1 .'li'e2, 1 1 .�f3 and 1 1 .�hl , preparing f2-f4. Gambit Declined: 6 ... tt:Jh6! ? 7.0-0 cxd4 8.cxd4 tllfs 9. �xfS exfS 1 0.tDc3 �e6 _.\fter this quite forced sequence, the original pawn structure (d5 -f5 -f7) of the ..\dvance Variation, along with the old concept, arrive on the scene:

Who is better, White or Black? For many years the answer depended on a good :.mderstanding of this well-known position. During the 1 980s and 1990s, theory :-a.voured White in this structure, but, suspecting that the books might be wrong, I 5tudied the position more closely and eventually managed to achieve outstanding :-esults with black. From here on the play is long-winded and strategic - see the plan described in :he game Schenk-Moskalenko (2 0 0 0 ) . But there is already a nice collection of similar e..xa.mples in the games before that.

45

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 .eS

The Problematic 6.�d3

-

Game

GAME 9 6.�d3 Orestes Rodriguez Vargas (2425) Yukio Miyasaki (2280) -

Skopje ol 1 972 (2)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4.c3 tbc6 5.tLlf3 'ifb6 6.�d3

analysis diagram

6... �d7?! As we already learned in Games 7 and 8, touching the French bishop prematurely is wrong - be careful! TRICK: If Black is going to take the pawn on d4, the best way is 6 ... cxd4! 7.cxd4 .td7 (but not immediately 7...lt:Jxd4?? 8.ltJxd4 'lWxd4 9 . .tbs+ and Black lost his queen in 3 1 games in the Mega­ Base!) 8.0-0 ltJxd4, which leads to the main Gambit line. PLAN: Fortunately Black is not forced to accept the material: 6 ... lt:Jh6!?. First he continues his development. This is my favour­ ite line: 7.0-0 cxd4! 8 .cxd4 ltJfS 9. .txfS (gambiting with 9.ltJc3 is still possible, but now Black has a knight on c6 instead of g8: 9...lt:Jfxd4! 1 0.ltJxd4 'lWxd4 1 1 .ltJbS 'lWxeS!? (the principled option) 1 2 . .!::f.e l 'lWb8 1 3.'lWf3 eS!N 1 4.'lWxdS �b4!? and Black has an extra pawn and better chances) 9... exfS lO.ltJc3 .te6. 46

Once again, the original Advance struc­ ture. Actually, this typical position is playable for both sides - if you enjoy pure strategy. For instance: l 1 .ltJe2 (1 1 .ltJa4 'lWc7!? 1 2.�e3 h6 1 3 . .!:f.cl .te7 14.ltJcS 0-0 1 S .b4 'lWb6!+:t with at least equal chances, O.Lopez-Moskalenko, Barbera del Valles 2000) l l ... h6! (this avoids the simplification with �gS, and prepares ...g7-gS!?) 1 2.'lWa4 (12.ltJf4 gS! 1 3.ltJxe6 fxe6 1 4.ltJel !? 0-0-0!? l S .ltJc2 l:!.h7 1 6.b4 .l:tc7+ Degraeve-Kosten, Belfort 1 997) 12 ... �e7 1 3.a3 0-0 14.b4 .i:!.fc8 ! and Black is dominating the entire board: 1 S . .td2 a6 1 6 . .l::i.fcl gS!t (a typical attack with pawns in this strategic line) l 7.'lWb3 ltJaS!? 1 8.'lWd3 ltJc4 1 9.ltJel f4 20.g3 fxg3 21 .hxg3 �g4! 22.ltJc3 'lWe6 23 . .te3 bS 24.'lWfl .!:f.a7 2S.'lWg2 lt:Jxe3 26.fxe3 .!:f.ac7, winning easily, Schenk-Moskalenko, Palma de Mallorca 2000. 7.0-0 White is accommodating and allows the gambit again. TRICK: 7.dxcS! .txcS 8.0-0;;!;; is considered better for White (see also the comments in Game 7). I repeat here the main point: 8 ...lt:Jge7?? (8 ...'lWc7 9.b4t) 9.b4 and the bishop on cS is lost.

7 ... cxd4 8.cxd4 tLlxd4

Chapter 4 The Problematic 6. �d3 -

.! ll 'ii'

•

• .t. � .! .t. i l l l 18 • Ail

�

88 Jd Cjj �'iY

Cjj 888 Jd

The key position of the gambit. The strategic operation 8 ... tt:lb4 9.�e2 �bS will cost Black many tempi: I O.�xbs+ 'iYxbS 1 1 .tLlc3 'ifb6 1 2.a3 ..'.Llc6 1 3 .b4 tt:lge7 14.�d3;!;; and White should be better, with the possibility of action on both flanks: tt:la4 or h2-h4. 9.tlJxd4 There are two main alternatives: A) 9.tt:lbd2 is the favourite line of Czech IM Jiri Nun and Australian GM David Smerdon:

analysis diagram

9 ... �cS!? (9...tt:lc6 1 0.tt:lb3oo) 1 0.tt:lxd4 (10.l:f.bl .ibS!=F; 1 0.b4 'ti'xb4 1 1 .l:f.bl �a4+ Pap-Gleizerov, Predeal 2006) 1 0 ... .ixd4 1 1 .tLlf3 tt:le7!? 1 2.tt:lxd4 (12 . .id2!?N) 1 2 ...°iVxd4 1 3.l:f.el b6!?N (a new idea, probably a good defence against �e3; 1 3 ...tt:lc6 14.�e3 'ifxeS 15.�cS� Milliet-Prusikin, Merlimont tt 20 1 1) 14 . .!::tb l (14.�e3? '1Wxb2! 1 5 .°iVg4 �g6+ Smerdon-Sadler, England tt 2013/14) 14... .l:tc8 (14...tt:lc6!?) 1 5 . .ie3

°ti'h4oo is still unclear, Melekhina­ Zatonskih, St Louis ch-USA W 2014; B) 9.tt:lgS 'This is known as Sorensen's Gambit. It has undergone a spurt of popu­ larity and White has enjoyed a number of nice attacking victories, but it is dubious at best if the opponent is prepared.' John Watson, Play the French, 3rd edition.

analysis diagram

For instance, 9...tt:lc6 is considered to be the safest continuation, avoiding the pin with .ie3 . 10.°iVe2 (probably the best chance for White since after 10.l:f.el �cS! l 1 .'YWf3 tLlh6! 1 2 .tt:lc3 tt:ld4 Black is better in all lines, Asensio Linan-Vasquez Schroeder, Barcelona 2014) 1 0 ...tt:lb4!? 1 1 . �xh7. Here, l 1 ...�e7!? was played once (the computer gives 1 1 ...tLlh6!?+ as best) 12 . .ixg80 �xg8 1 3 .tt:lc3 .l:th8!? and the position looks fine for Black, with the idea 14.'i:Vf3 f6!. 9... 'ifxd4

.! ll •

•

1 0. ttJc3 A) 1 0 . .l::te l .ld.c8!? 1 1 .tLlc3 a6! is similar to Black's main weapon; 47

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . e5 B) I O.°iYe2 C/Je7 l I .C/Jd2 (I I .C/Jc3 C/Jc6 t::,. 12.C/Jbs �xeS!+; 1 1 .�hl C/Jc6 12.f4 C/Jb4 13.�bs 0-0-0 14.C/Jc3 �cs+) l 1 ...C/Jc6 1 2.C/Jf3 �b6 13.�e3 �cs 14.�xcS �xcS I S . .l::i.fcl °iYe7+ - analysis. 1 0... 'ifxe5 Taking the second pawn is not a mistake, but it is a risky decision, and White gets full compensation in an open position. There is no time for natural develop­ ment: 10 ...tlle 7?! 1 1 .C/JbS! �xeS 1 2.�el °iVb8 and now 1 3.°iVf3 !?� with good results for White. For instance, 13 ... eS 14.l:heS ! �xeS 1 S .�f4t, Magem Badals-Purgimon, Andorra Zonal 1 987. t'fl"- WEAPON: IO ... a6! , defending against the threat of C/JbS , is by far the safest move.

analysis diagram

White has four natural continuations: A) 1 1 .'Mfe2 is the most popular line by far, but Black's position is solid af­ ter 1 1 ...l:!.c8 !?, preparing ... �cS: 1 2 . .ld.dl 'iVb6 (12 ... �cS!?) 1 3 .Whl �cs 14.'Mfg4 g6+ Startseva-Esebua, Mureck jr 1998; B) White has better statistics with 1 1 .Whl - but not after 1 1 ...°ifxeS ! 1 2.l:te l (12.f4 'Mfd6+) 12 ...'Mfd6+ and here, in comparison with the main game, Black has won a decisive tempo, ... a7-a6!; C) 1 1 ..l::!.e l is simply a useful move: 1 1 ...C/Je7 (1 1 ...llc8!?) 12.�e3 'iYxeS 1 3.°iVg4 (the forced line, which leads to a better position for Black. Also after the popular 13.�cS 'iVc7 the score is 2:7 for 48

Black) 1 3 ...hS! 14.'Mfb4 C/Jc6! 1S.'Mfxb7 l:i.b8 16.�xa6 C/Jb4 1 7.°iVa7 C/Jxd3+, Vazquez Torres-Moreno Ruiz, Madrid 2010; D) Finally, White's most recent try is 1 I .'iff3, for example: 1 1 ...C/Je7! 1 2.lidl 'ifxeS ! 1 3 .�f4 °iVf6 14.kte l .

analysis diagram

Here Black can simplify with 14 ... gS!, suggested by Watson on chesspublishing. com (14 ... �c6!? is the common answer here, but the results are not good: 1 S .'ifg3 C/Jg6 16.�gS °iYd4 1 7.l:!.adl °ifcS 1 8 .°ifh3 is extremely complicated) l S.�eS °ifxf3 1 6.gxf3 l:1g8 1 7.�xh7 l:rg7! 1 8.�d3 fS 1 9.�xg7 �xg7+ and Black gets a wonderful endgame. 1 1 . l:te1 'ifd6 Defending the dS-pawn. 1 1...'iYb8 1 2.C/Jxds �d6 13.'iVg+ (13.h3!? �c6 14.°ifg+ wfs

GM Orestes Rodriguez Vargas.

Chapter 4 - The Problematic 6. �d3 15.tllb4�) (13.VJl/hs Wf8oo) !3 ... Wf8 14. .2.d2 hS 1 5 .VJl/h3 exdS (15 ... �c6 16.tllb4�) 16.VJl/xd7 �xh2+ 1 7.Whl tllf6 18.'iYfs �d6 1 9.�acl 'tWd8 20.�gs� Borg-P.Nikolic, Kavala Zonal 1985. 1 2. tllbS!

1 2 ... 'ifbB? l 2 ... VJl/b6D with a possible draw by repetmon: 13.�e3 VJ/fas (1 3 ...VJl/d8? 14.�J4±) 14.�d2 'tWb6 15 . .2.e3 =. 1 3.'iff3!t Threatening 14. .2.f4. 1 3 ... ..tdS 1 4. 'ii'x dS? This leads to extremely unclear play. White is better after 14.tllxd6+! 'i¥xd6 1 S . .2.f4_. followed by 1 6 .'i¥g3 !. 14 ... hh2+ 1 5.�h1 a6 1 6. 'ifg5 g6 16 ...Wf8!?. 1 7.g3 h6?? The decisive mistake in a sharp position.

After the correct defence 1 7... .2.xg3 ! 18.fxg3 .2.c6+ 1 9.Wh2 axbSoo Black re­ mains three pawns up in an open position. 1 8.'ii'c S!+Considerably improving the position of the queen - see move 21 ! 1 8 ... ..txg3 1 9.fxg3 axbS 20.i.f4 'ifa7

21 Jbe6+!! A n amazing and highly effective combi­ nation. The black fortress collapses im­ mediately. 21 ...fxe6 Or 21 ....2.xe6 22.-2.xbs+ �d7 23 . .id.el+ Wd8 24.VJl/c7#. 22. hg6+ �dB 23.'ii'fB+ Black resigned. It's mate next. This relatively old game shows why the gambit has been popular for so long.

Summary of'The Problematic 6.�d3': _.\ccepting the gambit leads to a complex game. After sacrificing his central pawn White leads in development, the position is quite open and in addition the black king remains in the middle. Therefore, deep knowledge and a sharp tactical eye are the two decisive factors when playing this line for either side. In the Declined line, after the exchange �d3xtllf5 , usually the better positional player (on either side) manages to outplay his opponent without much risk. 6 . �d3 may not yield White much, but the game is not forced even after Black accepts the gambit ( 6 . . . cxd4 7 .cxd4 .2.d7) , and so new improvements may be found at any point.

49

Part I AdvanceVariation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5 -

Chapter 5

-

A Dynamic Set-up against

N imzowitsch 's Gambit

Game 1 0 - The Nimzowitsch Gambit 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4. '#g4 •

The attacking move �g4 is basically the sharpest option for White in all the main lines of the French Defence. In this oldest gambit variation, after bringing the queen to the kingside, White's idea is co block the centre first (making use of Black's doubled cl-pawns) , and then to prepare the following set-up: tLlf3 , �d3 , 0-0, �e l , trying to develop an initiative in the centre - combined with pressure on the kingside with h2-h4. Nowadays, this variation is not a serious threat to the French, but it is quite popu­ lar in Internet games and a favourite of many club players. � STATISTICS: approximately 950 games = 53.2% in White's favour. In practice, as Black I usually faced this gambit in rapid and blitz games (also on playchess.com, under the hand­ le CapNemo) , when there is not much time to concentrate on the opening phase. Therefore, I focused on the most dynamic anti-gambit options for Black, against typi­ cal white play. 4...cxd4 is the principled response (two interesting alternatives were played by classical masters: Alekhine's 4 . . . tLlc6 , and Botvinnik's tricky check 4 . . . �a5 +) . s.tLlf3 tLlc6 6.�d3 The well-known classical grandmaster Aaron Nimzowitsch was the first successful explorer of this gambit idea - see his stem game against Jeno Szekely in J 9 2 7 .

50

Chapter 5

-

A Dynamic Set-up against Nimzowitsch 's Gambit: 4. �g4

This is the key opening position of the French Advance Gambit. Among several good and bad ideas (see the options I give on moves 6 and 7 ) , our main line is the following: 6 ... tt:Jge7! 7.0-0 tLlg6! 8 .l:f.e l Vi'c7! 9. 'tWg3 f6! . Black's set-up is extremely active, with great pressure on e5 (which was the fundament of Nimzowitsch's attacks) . As the above diagram shows, with his energetic play Black has created a crisis in the middle of the board. Now White has to make some tough decisions . .

.m::- sTATISTICS: beside my own Internet/OTB practice, there are only 1 3 games in MegaBase=8.5 points for Black.

c 1

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . e5

A Dynamic Set-up against Nimzowitsch's Gambit - Games GAME 10 - 4. 'ti'g4

Caralho Voador CapNemo (Moskalenko) playchess.com 2009

Since the 'dynamic anti-gambit set-up' is still hardly developed in tournament practice, I am forced to use one of my Internet blitz games as a model game. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.es cs 4. 'ifg4

The oldest gambit begins with White's most active anti-French move. However, according to general chess rules this at­ tack should be premature PUZZLE: Keep in mind the trans­ position to the main line: 4.�d3 cxd4 5.�g4 etc. 4... cxd4! There are two interesting alternatives: A) Natural development with 4 ... lt:Jc6!? s.lt:Jf3 lt:Jge7!? (5 ... cxd4 leads to the main line) 6 .c3 (6.dxcS lt:Jg6!?<2) 6 ... lt:JfS!?.

•

analysis diagram

52

Compared with the classical Advance Variation, this line should be slightly fa­ vourable for Black, since the white queen is not perfectly placed on g4 and White has lost several tempi: 7.dxcS (7.�d3 cxd4! Canepa-Alekhine, Carrasco 1 938) 7... �xcS 8.�d3 0-0 9.0-0 f6! t Pusch-Jellinghaus, Germany 1 996; B) 4 ...�aS+!? is a curious zwischen­ schach invented by Botvinnik. Now White has to find the right answer: S . �d2!? is probably the most suitable move if you want to play gambit-style (S.lt:Jd2? lt:Jc6! and there is no good move for White, if 6.lt:Jgf3? lLib4!+; or S.c3 cxd4! 6.'i¥xd4 lt:Jc6 7.'iVf4 lt:Jge7! and Black is better again, Rabinovich-Botvinnik, Moscow match 1 937): S ...'iVb6 6.lt:Jc3!?. Black has a good position anyway: 6 ...lt:Jh6!? (6 ... cxd4 7.ltJbS hS!<=t) 7.dxcSD lLixg4 8.cxb6 �c5!<2 and the endgame looks fine for Black. He is simultaneously attacking the f2- and eS-pawns, Wanzek-Gottuk, Germany tt 200 1 /02. 5.tllf3 tllc6 6 . ..td3

I .i. iV • � I .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. � .t. .t. !'::, .t. � !'::, fj !'::, � tb � The initial position of the Gambit. 6 ... tllge7! Developing the knight to g6 is the most active defence. Other options are: ,_.,,,,. WEAPON: The fianchetto 6 ... g6!? is a very solid set-up here: 7.0-0 �g7 8.l:lel f6!=F 9.�f4 tLlh6 10.�xh6 �xh6 1 1 .�bs 0-0 12.�xc6 bxc6+ Vega Gutierrez­ Cruz, Zaragoza 2009.

Chapter S - A Dynamic Set-up against Nimzowitsch 's Gambit: 4. �g4

ff!I-- WEAPON: The break 6 .. .f6!? is

another way to sharpen your blitz repertoire: 7.�hS+
ff!I-- WEAPON: I still like the fianchet­

to 7... g6!? as an alternative: 8 .l::te l �g7 9.tllbd2 0 - 0 1 0 .tllb 3 f6!+. 8.1i'g3 ff!I-- PUZZLE: 8 . lle l �c7! 9.�g3 (9.�f4?! tllx f4 1 0.�xf4 f6 favours Black) 9 .. .f6! leads to the main game. 8 ... 'ii'c 7! Right on time-the position is strengthened by the activated knight on g6 .S TRICK: 8 ... �e7 9.tllbd2 0-0 W 1 0.tllb 3? (10.�xg6 fxg6 1 l .tllb 3oo) 1 0 ...tllcxeS! 1 1 .tllx eS �h4!+. 9.l:l.e1

analysis diagram

7.�f4 (7.0-0!?) 7...�b6?! (risky, attacking b2; 7...tllb4oo; 7...tllg e7 is much better on move 6 - see the main game) 8.tllbd2 'tlfxb2 9.tllb 3g?. Here White has some hidden tricks: TRICK: 9 ...tllge7?? 1 0.�c l ! �c3+ I l . �d2 �b2 1 2.a3!±, catching queen! Kogan-Astengo, the Bergamo 2008. 7.0-0 PUZZLE: If now 7.jif4 �b6!? Black has gained a tempo (...tlle 7) in comparison with the men­ tioned line 6 ...�c7 7.�f4 �b6. 7... lllg 6!

•

•

The critical moment. 9 . f6! Quite a new idea (though, of course, it is the common French break), causing a global crisis in the centre. In the stem game of this line, the defence of the blocked d-pawn with 9... �c5? was completely wrong - Black loses all dynamics: IO.h4! (a typical attacking re­ source; now White is ahead on the king­ side) IO ...Wf8 (after this move Black's position is hopeless, but 10 ... hS 1 l .tllbd2 also looks awful) 1 1 .hS tllg e7 I 2.h6 g6 1 3.a3 a5 14.�gS tllg 8 1 5 .tllbd2±. White has achieved the desired position and is strategically winning, Nimzowitsch­ Szekely, Kecskemet 1 927. 1 0. hg6+ Almost a forced exchange, but this way White admits the failure of his opening strategy. .

.

53

Part I

-

Advance Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 . d4 dS 3 .es

In case of the gambit move 1 0.c3 ...

analysis diagram

flll""- WEAPON: ... 10 ...lt:JgxeS! is the most precise answer (10 ... AcS!? no games): 1 1 .ltJxeS (1 1 .cxd4 tbxf3+ is a pawn up for Black) 1 1 ...fxeS 1 2 . �xh7 Ad6 1 3.cxd4 e4-+ Simacek-Novosak, Plzen 1995. 1 o... hxg6 1 1 . 'ii'xg6+ Black is better after 1 1 .exf6 �xg3 1 2.f7+ xf7 1 3.hxg3 and now 1 3 ...Ae7!? 14.Af4 Af6+. There is also the curious plan with ... Ad7, ... nh7 and ... .l::i.a h8. 1 1 ... 'iff7

1 2. 'ifg3D The exchange of queens helps Black: 12.�xf7+? @xf7 1 3 .�f4 (1 3.ltJbd2

b6+) 1 3 ...gS! 14.Ag3 g4 1 5.ltJfd2 fxeS 16.�xeS tbxeS 1 7.nxeS �d6 1 8 . .!:1gs �xh2+ 1 9.@fl �f4 0-1 Gen-Gutman­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2006. 1 2 ... 'ifhS!? A typical blitz move. After the natural 12 ... �d7 1 3.c3 �cs Black is solidly better; or 1 2 ... .2.cs 1 3.ltJbd2 �b6 14.ltJb3 �d7+ Castano-Comas Fabrego, Dos Hermanas 2002. 1 3.h3 Defending h2, but there is not much time for prophylactic moves: 1 3 .tba3 a6!+; 1 3 .ltJbd2 Ad7 (or 1 3 ... .!:1h6!? with the idea ... .l:!.g6) 14.ltJb3 fxeS; or 1 3 .a3?! fxeS 14.tbxeS tbxeS 1 5.'iYxeS �xeS 1 6.nxeS Ad6+ Blindspot-CapNemo, playchess.com 20 1 1 . 1 3 ...fxeS! 1 4.tillceS

1 4... �d6! This pinning move is more ambitious than 14... tbxeS 1 5.'IWxeS (1 5 . .!:1xe5?? 'IWdl +) 1 5 ...'tWxeS 16 . .!:1xe5 �d6+. 1 5. 'ifg6+ 1 5 .f4 0-0+. 1 5 ... �8! 1 6. 'ifxh5 :Xh5 Black's advantage is obvious (the game ended on move 3 0).

Summary of the Gambit 4. iVg4: Since in the classical era, dynamic chess was still in its dormant phase, a grandmas­ ter like Nimzowitsch could win many games using his own System against ignorant players ... but in our times, this gambit can only scare kids in Internet blitz games. However, if you are not ready for this, just choose your favourite set-up from the options I give in the model game, to fight the dogmas of the old players! 54

Chapter 6

-

Labyrinths of the Old System

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.es cs 4.c3 l2Jc6 5.lLif3 ..,b6 6.a3 c4!?

I

.t

History, Strategies In the 1 950s, leading specialists of the French such as grandmasters Tigran Petrosian and Wolfgang Uhlmann investigated a new strategy for Black, characterized by the blockading move 6 ... c4. Now Black is no longer pressing on d4, but he avoids the dangerous white set-up aimed at controlling the board. This innovation produced completely new positions, which can lead to very creative practical play and are interesting to study. • Since the b3-square has been weakened, Black closes the centre and shifts the struggle to the flanks. • Curiously, the black knights have more space (and free squares!) to manoeuvre. • At the moment there are neither points of direct contact nor forced lines with pawn moves. Both players must devote themselves to preparatory manoeuvres. Typical ideas for Black * After 6 ... c4 the follow-up 7... tt:laS is virtually forced, taking aim at the weakness on b3. Then, after 8 ... ikd7, Black always has available the option of castling kingside (but there is no need to hurry!). * Sooner or later Black must prepare the classic break . . .f7-f6 (sometimes this is played immediately - Games 14, 20 and 2 1) or the blockading move f7-fS (Games 1 3 , 1 5 and 1 8). * The king's knight also has a very important role. Typical manoeuvres are: . tt:lg8e7-c6, preparing .. .f7-f6 and .. .fxe5; or . .tt:lg8e7-c8-b6, with the intention of ... �a4; or even tt:Jg8-h6, in order to play .. .f7-f6/tlJf7 and exert pressure on the e5-pawn, or . . .f7fS!tlJf7, intending to continue with ...g7-g5. ...

..

.

German grandmaster Wolfgang Uhlmann (born in 1 9 3 5 ) was, along with the Armenian legend Tigran Petrosian, the leading player of the genuine French in his time.

...

55

Part I - Advance Variation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es The king's bishop is usually developed on e7, keeping an eye on White's tLlgS sortie and sometimes supporting the counterattack with ...g7-gS. * Black can also play ... h7-h6 (a very useful move) in order to definitely prevent ttJ/�gS and to prepare the advance ... g7-gS. * The black queen and queen's bishop should look out for possible action along the h7-bl diagonal. *

Typical ideas for White * White plays 7.tLlbd2!, defending the b3-square and threatening to push b2-b3. Next, there are two main plans: A) 8.�e2 and 9.0-0, playing in the centre or on the queenside with b2-b3, or B) The set-up g3-h4-�h3/�g2, preparing action in the centre and on the kingside. * White can also combine both plans or transfer from one to another if necessary. * Other useful manoeuvres in the Labyrinth System involve the rooks: .llfel , strengthening the centre and meeting .. .f7-f6, and .l:r.abl, preparing b2-b3/b4. Theory After studying dozens of games played at all levels, I have noticed that there is hardly any theory on this line. The wonderful feature of this variation for both sides (especially for Black) is the huge number of different plans that can be used, even if the typical examples are known. You can create your own labyrinths! Mistakes and Tactics In order to avoid the typical traps in this line, we will check the best-known exam­ ples: I) After 7.tLlbd2 the natural move 7...tt:Jge7?? (33 games in MegaBase!) is an awful mistake, since it allows a thematic combination.

TRICK: After 8.�xc4! (curiously, Garry Kasparov did not play this move, even though he got the chance twice in simultaneous displays in 2000!) 8 . . dxc4 9.tLlxc4 Vi'a6 1 0.tLld6+ �d7 1 1 .tLlxf7 White has a huge advantage (see comments to Games 1 1 and 1 2). .

Another mistake after 7.tLlbd2 is 7...�d7?!, another 'hasty' move (7...tLlaS! or 7.. .f6!? is better), since it allows 8.b3!?, when White advantageously opens up the centre: 56

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 ... c4 -

• .t � E l l .t i l l 'IV � l 18 18 888 t2J :::: ifl 'if As in Motylev-Hort, Hoogeveen 2003 and Sveshnikov-Timman, Tilburg 1 992 (see comments to Games 1 2 and 22). Even in the main line, the wrong move 1 0 ...4Jb3??...

• .t E .i. � l l l l 18 18 8�8 t2J £!:i t2J ifl 8 8 8 :ti ifl 'iV :l::

V -�l

TRICK: ... once again allows l l .�xc4! (see the notes to Game 1 1). PLAN: Black should be careful not to transfer too many pieces to the queen-

-=-&' side. Often the most important operations take place on the other side of the

board. PLAN: During the opening I think that Black's best option is to keep his king �l -=-&" in the centre for as long as possible. This allows him to castle kingside if White breaks with b2-b3 (see comments in Game 1 1) . �l PLAN: Generally speaking, piece exchanges and simplifications favour Black!

-=-&"

Directions and Games There is a detail which makes the study of this variation more difficult. In the initial stage both sides have several alternatives with independent ideas, but after a few moves many different continuations will lead to the same position . ..\) White's most flexible option is the natural developing move 7.�e2 (Games 1 1 - 1 5). First of all, we will investigate an aggressive method, where White tries to open up the queenside with b2-b3 and c3 -c4 (Game 1 1 : Tal-Petrosian) , or tries to play on the entire board, even without the queens (Game 1 2 : Nakamura-Timman) . 57

Part I - Advance Variation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5 Black can defend against 10 . .l:!.bl with the idea of b2-b3, by means of 10 ... 'tWc7!?, using his queen as a 'submarine', attacking the c3-pawn from 'beneath the surface' (Game 1 3 : Dvoiris-Vaganian). Other important examples and ideas can be found in: - Game 14: Lapshun-Moskalenko: the French breakthrough 9 .. .f6; - A weird plan by grandmaster Shabalov, pushing h4-h5 (Game 1 5 : ShabalovAkobian). B) Quite often White prefers 7/8.g3 and h2-h4, seizing space on the kingside while his bishop takes up a comfortable position on g2 or h3 (Games 1 6 - 1 9). In the following examples White looks for better squares for his key piece, the king's bishop: The 'Classical Fianchetto' g 3 - �g2 (Game 1 6 : Clarke-Petrosian) . In this game we can see Black employing his pieces in the best manner. The 'Armenian Fianchetto' g 3 - �h3 ? ! , without h2-h4, and the defensive idea of the Azeri grandmaster Radjabov (Game 1 7 : Movsesian-Radjabov) . The 'Austrian Fianchetto' g 3 -h4- �h3 (Game 1 8 : Klinger-Portisch) , featuring grandmaster Portisch's counter-plan in true Dutch Stonewall style. The 'Weird Fianchetto' , including other ideas connected with g3 -h4, played in blind, rapid and Internet games, etc. (Game 1 9 : Ivanchuk-Bareev) . C) We conclude our study of the 'Labyrinth' System 6 ... c4 with the immediate . ..f7-f6: the Uhlmann Plan - 7.g3/7.tllb d2 f6, a major resource in the French Defence which has been used by grandmasters Uhlmann (7.g3 f6 in Game 20 vs Malaniuk) and Pelletier (7.tllb d2 f6 in Game 2 1 vs Grischuk).

Summary A, B and C: Games by the Expert (Game 22) After studying most of the possibilities in the variation with �e2 and the one with g3, I have not been able to find any effective plans for White. In many lines Black obtains dangerous counterplay on the kingside, advancing his f-, g- and h-pawns in order to prepare a central counterattack or an attack on the flank. Finally, I decided to study a safer path, using the games of a leading expert on this variation for White. The statistics of grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov against the blockading system with 6 . . . c4 are fascinating: he has played several games against another Ukrainian grandmaster expert on this variation, Vereslav Eingorn, with the result of three draws and one win. Sveshnikov has played a total of 1 9 games with this line, winning 1 1 ( ! ) , drawing 7 and losing only one. What was the secret of his success? We will look for an answer to this question in Game 2 2 : Sveshnikov-Eingorn, Mallorca GMA Open 1 989.

58

Chapter 6 - Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . . c4 Labyrinths of the Old System Games A) Games 1 1-15: ltJbd2/�e2 GAME 11

Mikhail Tai Tigran Petrosian Tbilisi 1 956 (7)

Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (also known as 'Iron Tigran') was the brilliant champion of blocked pawn structures, and his ability to play them on both sides of the board yielded him a great number of points. First of all we investigate the system where White tries to open up the queenside with b2-b3 and c3-c4. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4.c3 ltJc6 5.tllf3 •bs 6.a3 White's main idea is to gain some space on the queenside, carrying out b2-b4. 6 ... c4!?

Black prefers to close the queenside. A logical idea against a2-a3 and a good choice against Mikhail Tal! White's ini­ tiative is temporarily frozen. This advance became a popular plan in the 1 950s. The theory of this line was not very advanced, so players tended to make many mistakes here. Except for Petrosian! 7 . .te2 The more natural option is 7.ltJbd2!?, trying to achieve some activity with b2b3 and c2-c4 - see the next games.

A) It is too early for 7.b4?! cxb3 8.iLb2 ltJaS 9.ltJbd2 iLd7 1 0.c4 ltJe7!+; B) 7.ltJgS? is also premature: 7.. .f6! 8 .exf6 lLixf6 9.f4 iLd6 1 O.g3 0-0 l I . iLg2 iLd7 l 2.�e2 llae8 and Black is better, Acs-Kabatianski, Budapest 1 994. 7 ... .td7 Now Black can castle queenside. My advice, however, is to wait and first play some more useful moves. Another idea is the classical French break 7 .. .f6!?, opening up the centre at once, although at this point it is still un­ clear which side will profit most from this manoeuvre. See Games 14, 20 and 2 1 for similar ideas. 8.tllbd2 tlla5 ! TRICK: Remember! 8 ...ltJge7?? 9.�xc4! - 23 games in MegaBase!

Black's main trump is his continuous pressure on b3. 9.0·0 White has easily deployed his pieces, but there is no way that he can profit from his lead in development. 9 .. tlle7 A very popular manoeuvre. The other knight retains a choice between four possible destinations: c6/c8 or g6/f5. 9... f6!? is still interesting, see Game 14. .

KEEP IN MIND: Early castling with 9 ... 0-0-0?! is dangerous: 1 0. ltb l ! and b2-b3±. 59

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es

f�l PLAN: After many games, I think li:li!" the safest set-up is 9... �e7!? 10 . .i::rb l tllh6 1 1 ..i::re l tllfs.

1 0 ... h6! ? A useful move i n this kind o f position: it prevents the white pieces from occupying gS and prepares an eventual ... g7-g5. Sometimes, the vacated h7-square can be occupied by the black queen. 1 O ...tllb 3? is an awful mistake:

E * ..t * i i i i i8 i8 tb ��8 8 tb il 8 8 8 : � 'ii' : �

analysis diagram

A waiting strategy. Black's position is very flexible: ...'tWc7 or ...'tWc6, ... h7-h6 are the next useful moves. 1 0.:b1 ! ? r �1 PLAN: Now White could continue li:li!" 1 0 .tllgS h6 1 1 .tllh 3. However, when the other knight is not on f3, White cannot play b2-b3 be­ cause of the pin with ... �a4, so 1 1 ...0-0-0!? is logical: 1 2 .tllf4 g6 (12 .. .fS!?) 13.I;lbl �b8!?.

analysis diagram

The position is blocked and White has no successful plans at his disposal. But Black has! If 14.b3? cxb3+. f � PLAN: I used a similar concept li:li!" in a more recent game: 1 0 .tlle l 0-0-0!? 1 1 .g3 f6!� Montell Lorenzo-Moskalenko, Torredem­ barra 2010

l

60

analysis diagram

TRICK: 1 1 .�xc4! tllx cl 1 2 .'tWxc l ± Kerkhoff-Timman, Rotterdam 1 964. PLAN: Another interesting option Iii" is 10 ...tllg 6!?, intending .. .f7-f6, although there are no high-level games with it. 1 1 . 'ifc2 For 1 1 . ne1 see the next game. Again, 1 1 .b4?! cxb3 1 2.c4 'tWc7!+. 1 1 ... 'ifc7!?

[fl

E • .tJ E i i 'iil ..t � i i l i � i8 • i8 8 8 ttJ 8 V//i tt:J il 8 8 8 : il :� 1 2.b3 Mikhail Tai is obviously trying to open up the position in order to attack. 1 2.nel !? is a waiting alternative: 1 2 ...tllc 8 (preparing ...tllb 6 and ... �a4; 12 ...tLlfS!?)

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . c4 -

1 3. �dl lt:Jb6 14.lt:Jfl �a4 1 5 .°tie2 �xdl 16.°tixdl 0-0-0= Zhigalko-Salgado Lopez, Dubai rapid 2014. 1 2 ... cxb3 1 3.tiJxb3 �a4! This pin by the bishop is an important tactical resource against b2-b3. 1 4.lLifd2

The position is at least balanced for Black. White cannot exploit his lead in development. 1 4 ... 0.ec6 More precise may be 14 ... llc8!? 1 5.°tib2 lt:Jxb3 1 6.lt:Jxb3 ltJfS 1 7. �d2 �e7, preparing to castle kingside. 1 5. 'it'b2 0-0-0? This must be a joke! Only an optimist can play this and keep his nerve. More than sufficient was 15 ... �e?, when after 1 6 ... 0-0 Black's position is very solid. 1 6.ttJxaS ttJxaS 1 7.c4!-

Now Petrosian is forced to display his best defensive skills. 1 7... �e7 1 8.cxd5 1 8.cS!?.

..

1 8...exdS 1 9.�d1 �d7 20.�c2 ..tbs 2 1 . �d3 J:r.ce 22.lLib3 tbc4 23. 'ifa2 b4 24. �fS �d7 25.�d3 �a4 26.�fS �d7 112-112 Summary: With 1 2 .b3 White starts action on the queenside, allowing Black the superior pawn structure. Logically, the correct counterplan for Black was to prepare kingside castling, which would have given him good prospects. However, the game continuation also demon­ strates the solidity of the set-up with 6 ... c4. The analysis of other, secondary lines also shows that Black's fortress is made of hard rock!

GAME 12 Hikaru Nakamura (2657) Jan Timman (2607) Malmo/Copenhagen 2005 (8)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.es cs 4.c3 tbc6 5.lLif3 'iVb6 6.a3 c4 7.lLibd2!

The best move without a doubt, since it forces Black to show his intentions. 7 ... �d7?! This is probably a mistake, since it allows b2-b3. Another awful mistake would be 7...lt:Jge7??. Remember: to play this move, the other knight must be on aS or the black queen on c7! 45 games with this mistake can be found in MegaBase. Of course, White again has ... 61

Part I - Advance Variation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5 Hoogeveen 2003) 1 2 .'iYbl ! �c6 1 3.�d3 and White is better, for example: 13 ...tlle 7 14.0-0 h6 1 5 .�c l ! tllc 8 1 6.c4! dxc4 1 7.�xc4 'iVb5 1 8 .°iWxb5 �xb5 1 9. .l:txc8+ �xc8 20.�xb5+ winning, Sveshnikov-Timman, Tilburg 1992. 8 l005 ! Returning to familiar paths. 9Jlb1 Now the move order is not really im­ portant. 9 ... lbe7 1 0.0-0 h6!? A move in Petrosian style: always safe. 1 1 .l:l.e1 !? ...

analysis diagram

TRICK: 8 .�xc4! (here a most sur­ prising continuation was 8.�e2? h5??, Kasparov-Antwerpen Topsport, Deurne simul 2000) 8 ... dxc4 9.tllxc4 'iVa6 1 0 .tlld 6+ Wd7 1 1 .tllxf7 .l::i.g 8 1 2.°iWc2 with a decisive advantage in Sveshnikov­ Milos, Budapest 1 988. The immediate 7...tlla 5! is better, since it prevents all tactics, or else 7 .. .f6!?, pressing on the centre, see Game 2 1 . 8 .i.e2 Unexpectedly, Hikaru Nakamura chooses a quiet plan. We do not get to know what Timman had prepared against 8.b3!?, seizing his chance. In these positions, opening up the game favours White in almost all cases!: 8 ...cxb3 9.tllxb3 tlla 5 1 0 .tllx a5 'iYxa5 l l .�d2 .

analysis diagram

l 1 ...'iVa4 (or, for instance, 1 1 ...tlle 7 l 2.�d3! 'iWc7 1 3 .0-0± Motylev-Hort, 62

We have reached the key position, but we could still have continued in 'Poker style' .. . 1 1 ... 0-0-0?! As in the previous game, I think that this move is premature. According to grand­ master Psakhis, though, 'Practice has sufficiently proved that Black has no se­ rious problems in this line'. These caves are full of labyrinths! PLAN: I like the flexible l 1 ...'iYc7!?, further preventing b2b3 and preparing another com­ mon plan with ...tllc 8-b6/�a4, for example: 1 2 .tllf l (or 1 2.'iYc2 tllc 8 1 3 .tllf l tllb 6 14.tllg3 g6 1 5 . �fl o-o-o 1 6 . �e3 Wb8 1 7.M �e7 1 8.h5 .l:tdg8+:t Thipsay­ Zillur Rahman, Calcutta 1 994) 1 2 ... tllc 8 (12 ...tllb 3!? 13 .tll3 d2

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . . c4 -

�a4 14.ti:Jxb3 .ixb3= Galyas­ Koczka, Hungary tt-2 1 994/95) 1 3 .�f4 ti:Jb6 14.�g3 Aa4 1 5 .'YWcl 0-0-0= Haba-Naumkin, Cappelle-la-Grande 1 998. PLAN: Another possibility is 1 I ....ic6 1 2.ti:Jfl 'YWb3 1 3 .�f4 �a4 14.'iVcl 'YWb6 1 5 .ti:J3d2 ti:Jg6+:t Sveshnikov-Eingorn, Riga ch-URS 1 985. PLAN: Or, for instance, 1 I ...ti:Jf5!?, creating weaknesses in White's posmon, see: 1 2 .g4 (12 . .ifl .ie7 1 3.g4 ti:JM 14.ti:Jxh4 �xh4 15 . .l:!.e3 0-0-0+:t Lyell-Brumen, Bled 1998) 1 2 ...ti:Je7 1 3 .ti:Jfl �b3 14.'iYxb3 ti:Jxb3= Degraeve­ Levacic, Bastia 1 998. 1 2. 'it'c2 A) Starting action in another area seems absurd: 1 2.M?! @b8 1 3 .h5 'l!!fc 7 14.'1Wc2 ti:Jc8 1 5 .ti:Jf! ti:Jb6 1 6 .�f4 ga4 1 7.'l!!fc l .ie7= Marzolo-Masserey, Cannes 2000; B) Another odd move would be 1 2.ti:Jfl , abandoning control of b3: 1 2 ...ti:Jb3 (12 .. .f5!? 1 3 .exf6 gxf6 14.ti:Jg3 h5=F) 1 3 . .ie3 �a4 14.ti:J3d2 ti:Jf5+:t Fressinet-Radjabov, Oropesa del Mar Wch U 1 8 1 999; C) Probably the critical move is l 2.b4!? cxb3

analysis diagram

1 3.c4 (13.ti:Jxb3 ti:Jxb3!) 1 3 ... dxc4 (13 ... i1!.a4!?) 14.ti:Jxc4 ti:Jxc4 1 5.�xc4

�a4 1 6 . .ixb3 .ixb3 1 7. .l:!.xb3 'YWa6oo and Black seems to have defended everything, Vlassov-Vysochin, Yalta 1 995. 1 2 ... @be 1 a.ttJ11 White rejects b2-b3. 1 3.�dl �c8 (13 ...'iVc7 14.ti:Jfl ti:Jc8 1 5.�e3 ti:Jb6= 1/2- 1/2 Sveshnikov-Vaisser, Sochi 1 985) 14.ti:Jfl ti:Jb3 1 5 . .if4 Wa8 16.ti:Jg3 .ia4 1 7.'l!!fe 2 'l!!:Vb5 1 8.ti:Jh5 ti:Ja5= was Sveshnikov-Casper, Moscow 1987. 1 3 ... 'it'b3 This looks natural, but I would prefer to keep the queens on the board with 1 3 ...ti:Jb3!? and prepare a counterattack with .. .f7-f6 or .. .f7-f5. 1 4. 11..d 1 White failed to gain any advantage after 14.'l!!:Vxb3 ti:Jxb3 15 . .if4 ti:Jc8 16.ti:Jg3 1/2- 1/2 Sveshnikov-Nikolenko, Moscow ch-URS 1 9 9 1 . 14... 'it'xc2 1 5.hc2 tl\c8! ?

· � .! i i .t

� E ii

i i8 i8 8 8 ttJ 888 8� : � : tt:J @

�

White has got nothing from the opening; Black's pieces are well coordinated (he is planning ...ti:Jb6/.ia4). 1 6.a4 tllb6 1 1.:a1 i:ice 1 e.tl\3d2 Jie7 1 9.f4 g6= Timman prepares a blockade, not allow­ ing any weaknesses. 20.tl\e3 h5 21 .g3 .l:[hg8 22.h3 :cs 23.g4 .l:[h8 Black has lost two tempi, but this is not so important in a closed position. 24.tllf3 :cce 2s.:a2 hxg4 26.hxg4 .:l.h3 27.@g2 .l:[ch8 28.tllf 1 63

Port I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 .e5 28.fS gxfS 29.gxfS .l::f.3 h5!�. 28 ... l2Jb3!? 29.a5 ttJxc1 30.:Xc1 lLic8

Now the main target is the aS-pawn. 31 . l2Jg3 a6 32.l:aa1 ttJa7 33.l:th1 :Xh1 34.lLixh1 lLic6 35.l2Jf2 'ittc 8! The king runs along the back rank to protect the pawn on f7 - long live the king! Not 35 ... �d8 36.�a4!=. 36.l2Jh3 'ittd 8 37.l2Jhg5 'itte8 38. 'ittg 3 .td8 39. .ta4 lLib8 40.b3? cxb3?! 40 ... �xa4! was stronger: 41..!:f.xa4 cxb3 42.tLld2 .l::f.h l 43.tl:lxb3 tl:lc6 and Black is clearly better. 41 . .txb3 .tc6 42.f5! gxf5 43.gxf5 exf5 44.c4 44.@f4!?. 44 ... dxc4 45 . .txc4 .txf3 46.ttJxf7? This tactical blow only complicates White's task. He should have played 46.tl:lxf3 tl:lc6 47.@f4 tl:lxaS 48.�dS= with a probable draw.

64

46 ... l:th1 ! An unexpected intermediate move. 47. :Xh1 �xh1 48.ttJxd8 @xd8 49.d5 ttJd7 50. @f4 lLic5! 51 . @xf5 @e7? This soon leads to a draw. Possibly Black should have preferred 5 1 ...�e4+!? 52.@f6 @d7+. 52. 'it;>f4 .tg2 53. @e3 0.e4 54 . .tb3 l2Jg5 55. .ta2 ttJf7 56. 'ittd4 .tf3 57. .tb1 .tg2 58 . .tf5 'ittd8 59.�d3= hd5 60.@xd5 ttJxe5 61 . 'ittxe5 @c7 62.@d5 b6 63.axb6+ @xb6 64.ha6 @xa6 Draw agreed. Summary: Obviously, without the queens on the board it is hard to tip the balance. White should have attacked with 8 / 1 2 .b3 !?. In any case, I think that during the opening Black should always keep his king in the centre (1 1 ...0-0-0?!) until there is an appropriate moment to castle. In this way he can still castle kingside after White's b2-b3 break, and profit from his superior queenside pawn structure.

GAME 13 Semen Dvoirys (261 5) Rafael Vaganian (2640) Izmir II 2004 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 'ii' b6 5.l2Jf3 lLic6 6.a3 c4 7.l2Jbd2! lLia5! 8. .te2 According to Sveshnikov, this development is more flexible than the fianchetto with g2-g3 and �g2/�h3. The main plus of �e2 is that it allows quick castling and the possibility of .l:f.bl , b2-b3 and c3-c4. Unfortunately, e2 is not the perfect square for the bishop. 8 ... .td7 9.0-0 0.e7 1 0.l:tb1 'fi'c7!?

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . . c4 -

This was a sharp battle between a young ronin and a veteran samurai. In this game we check several other typical manoeuvres connected with £.e2.

.! - � .! l l :iV .i. � l l l l 18 • � 18 8 8 tLJ 8 lLJ � 8 8 8 � �� � � very useful move. The black queen is acting as a submarine, eyeing c3 'be­ neath the surface'. 1 1 . lllh4 Semen Dvoirys applies the tradition­ al method, preparing a possible f2-f4. Other knight moves are: PLAN: l 1 .CLJg5 h6 1 2 .CLJh3 CLJc8.

_.\

[f�

(equally good is 1 2 ... 0-0-0!? 1 3.tbf4 g6 14. .l:rel 'it>b8 1 5.�fl tbb3 ! 1 6.g3 �a4� Cardelli-Nill, corr 2003) The text pre­ pares the well-known manoeuvre ...CLJb6-�a4: 1 3.CLJf4 CLJb6 14.tbf3 �a4 1 5.�d2 g6 1 6.h4 0-0-0 1 7.g3 �e7+ with the possible break ... g6-g5!, Zude­ V�anian, Germany Bundesliga 2004/05. r� l PLAN: In reply to 1 1 . ne 1 li:51r Black can apply the same idea: l 1 ...CLJc8!? (1 1 ...CLJg6) 1 2 .CLJfl CLJb6 1 3 .�f4 (13.'iVd2 0-0-0 14 . .idl .ia4 15 . .ixa4 tbxa4 1 6.'iVf4 CLJb3 1 7. .te3 h6= Meinhardt-Akopian, Mainz rapid 2007) 1 3 ...CLJb3 14.CLJe3 0-0-0 1 5 .g3 .tc6 16 . .ifl 'it>b8 1 7.h4 'it>a8 1 8.h5 h6 1 9.CLJM Jl..e 7 20.CLJeg2 ndg8 2 1 ..ie3 g6 22.'it>hl .ie8 23.�e2 g5! 24.CLJf3 CLJd7 25.CLJh2 [5 26.exf6 CLJxf6-+ Korneev-Pogorelov, Collado Villalba 2000. Black is ready for l 1 .b4?!: l 1 ...cxb3 1 2.�b2 (if 1 2.CLJxb3 �a4 1 3.CLJfd2 'iVxc3+) 12 ...CLJc8 1 3 .CLJel tbb6 14.CLJd3 CLJbc4+ Orti Boix-Moskalenko, Tarragona 2008. 1 1 . t2Jg6!? An unexpected meeting ofking's knights. 1 2.t2Jdf3 This plan does not seem too promising. But l 2.CLJxg6 doesn't offer White much either: 1 2 ... hxg6 1 3.CLJf3 CLJb3 14.�g5!? (trying to exchange dark-squared bishops) 14 ... a5!? 1 5 .h3 b5�. 1 2 ... ttJxh4 1 3.ltJxh4 f&.e7 1 4.l{jf3 ..

analysis diagram

65

Part I Advance Variation: l .e4- e6 2 .d4- dS 3 .es -

1 4...fS!? Building a fortress in Dutch Stonewall style. Another strategic move is 14-... h6!?, pre­ venting �gs. 1 5 . .tgS White has equalized, but the 'moral' advantage and the advantage in space favour Black. 15.exf6?! gxf6 16 . .l::!.e l 0-0-0 would give Black a nice game. 1 5... .tc6 1 6.g3?! 16.�xe7 'lliYxe7 1 7.tlld 2 tllb 3=. 1 6 ...0-0-0 1 7.be7 'iVxe7

24... gxf4 2s.:12 ,:[fS--+

:hg8

26. 'ii'c2

Black has excellent attacking chances, while White still has no real counterplay. 27.'iti>g1 ,:[fgS 28.,:[d1 'ifhS 29.�h1 ,:[fS! ? and White resigned, probably i n view of 30 ... 1:1'.g3 !. In the Labyrinth System with 6 ... c4-, you can also find your own paths. In the next game we see another idea for Black: the immediate break 9 .. .f7-f6.

Black has completed his development and he now has some advantage: more space and greater piece activity. 1 8.lLlh4 Displaying something of an obsession in bringing his knights to h4-. Either White underestimated the danger, or he didn't see a decent alternative. 1 8 ... gS! 1 9. lLlg2 f4! ? Vaganian immediately takes the oppor­ tunity to seize space on the kingside and take the initiative there. 1 9... hS!?-+. 20.�h1 If 20.gxf4- gxf4- 2 1 . �g4- 1:1'.df8i with the idea ... �e8-�g6. 20 ... :dta 21 . .ths lLib3 22.f3 .tea An even stronger option was to include 22 ... fxg3 ! 23.hxg3 �e8. 23. .bee 'iVxea 24.gxf4 24-.�e2 fxg3 25.hxg3 hS-+.

66

GAME 14 Yury Lapshun (2479) Viktor Moskalenko (2560) Banyoles 2007 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.es cs 4.c3 'ifb6 5.llJf3 lLlc6 6.a3 c4 7.lLlbd2 lLlaS In my opinion, this reply is almost forced. For 7.. .f6!? see Game 2 1 . a. .te2 .id7 9.0-0 f6! ?

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . . c4 -

_.\n ultra-modern move order, m1xmg the blockade idea with that of the classic French break. The text prepares ...tt::lh 6f7. 9 ,�e7!?; 9... tt::lh 6!?; 9... tt::le 7 is more common (Games 1 1 , 1 3 and 22). 1 0. .l:.e1 _.\ logical move. In this line, other moves lead to complicated play: A) 1 0.exf6 gxf6! 1 1 .l::!.b l 0-0-0 12.b3 cxb3 1 3 .tt::lxb3 �a4!+:t Kosikov-Liukin, Kiev 2005; B) 10 . .l:Ibl tt::le 7 l I .b3 cxb3 12.c4 'iic 7 13.c5 tt::lg 6 (13 ... �a4!?) 14.exf6 gxf6 1 5.�d3 tt::lf4 (15 ... �a4!) 16.tt::lxb3 tt::lxd3 l 7.'i!Vxd3 tt::lc 6 1 8 . �e3 0-0-0oo Wall­ Pert, London 200 1 . 1 0 ... tt:\hG It would be premature to play 1 0 ... 0-0-0 1 1 .l::!.b l intending 1 2 .b3t. 1 1 .b3 �y opponent tries to open up the game. He should have prepared this advance with 1 1 .l::!.b l!? and if 1 1 ...tt::lf ??! (better is l l ...f5!?) 1 2 .b3 cxb3 1 3.c4! White has the initiative. 1 1 ... cxb3 1 2 . .tb2 �e7!

Black finally closes the centre. 16 ... tt::lc 6!? was another option. 1 7.has 'ii'xas 1 8.ll\xb3 'ii'c7 1 9. 'ifd2 h4 20 . .l:.eb1 b6 21 .cxbG axb6 22.ll\c1 'ifc3!

Preparing an escape route for the king in the centre. 1 3 ... 0-0 is the correct plan after b2-b3. 1 3.c4 0-0!� With equal chances. 1 4. �d3 :ace 1 5.cS 'ii'c7 1 6. �c3 fS!

A typical French ending. The white pawns on a3 and d4 are significant weaknesses. 27 ... .1:.bcS 28.a4 �d8 29.�1 <;Pt7 30.llld 3 :aa 31 .'ifi>e1 ll\ga 32.
__

After the exchange of queens, the play is on just one half of the board, and it isn't mine! 23. 'iVxc3 :Xc3 24.ll\e1 24.l:t.xb6 was possible, but after 24 ... l::!.fc 8! 25.l::!.b bl �xa3 26.tt::le l l::!.x cl 27. .l:Ixa3 nxbl 28.�xbl .l:Ic4!=i= Black keeps pressing. 24... :ba or 24... nc6!?. 25.ll\e2 .l:.c6 26 . .tbS hbS 27.:XbS=F

67

Part I Advance Variation: l .e4- e6 2.d4- d5 3 .e5 -

35.:Xc4 dxc4 36.t2Jb4 bS 37.'iti>c2 bxa4 38.tbc3 a3 39.:a2 �b6! 0-1 40.t2Jb1 :a4! The b4--knight is lost. Summary of the line with 8.�e2: In the variation with 6 ...c4 it is perhaps better to wait before playing 9 .. .f6 and activate the minor pieces first. In prac­ tice, however, Black obtains very good results with this classic break. In the following game, �e2 and 0-0 are combined with the advance h2-h4--h5.

GAME 15 Alexander Shabalov (2605) Varuzhan Akobian (2526) Philadelphia 2004 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.es cs 4.c3 'ifb6 5.t2Jf3 t2Jc6 6.a3 c4 7.t2Jbd2 Or also 7.h4- �d7 (7 .. .f6!?) 8.hS f6! , replying with action i n the centre.

• .t � .I i. l l .t ll 'if � l l l8 8 18 8 8 8 88 bl: ttJ � 'iV � bl: analysis diagram

For example: 9.'iVe2 fxeS! (9...ll'iaS 10.�f4- ll'ib3 1 1 ..l::!.a 2 0-0-0oo Djuric­ Vaganian, Bled 1 991) 10.ll'ixeS ll'ixeS 1 1 .dxeS �cs+ and Black is ahead in all aspects. 7 ... tbas a.h4 A weird move. In the French Defence this attacking method works better in the Winawer Variation (see Part Four). I once encountered a similar idea: 8.�e2 �d7 9.0-0 CiJe7 1 O.h4-?!. 68

analysis diagram

After kingside castling this move is du­ bious: 1 0 ... CiJec6 1 1 .'iYel f6!+:% (this break is very good against h2-h4- in almost all cases) 1 2 . �dl 0-0-0 1 3 . �c2 'iVc7 l 4.'iVe2 fxeS 1 5.CiJxeS CiJxeS 1 6 .dxeS h6! (preparing the ...g7-g5 push) 1 7.CiJf3 �e7 1 8 .l::f.e l �df8 1 9.h5 CiJc6 20.�g6 �e8 2 1 . �xe8 nxe8 22.�e3 l:reg8! 23 .CiJd4 CiJxd4- 24-.�xd4- g6 25.'iVg4'iVc6 26.hxg6 hS!-.

ll

8 bl:

.I .i

•

.t 'iV l 18 l� 8

8 bl:

8

l

'iV 88 �

analysis diagram

Black has a decisive initiative on the king­ side. 27.'iVh3 nxg6 28.l:i.e2? l:i.hg8 29.f3 h4- 30.Wfl ng3 3 1 .'iVhl 'iVe8 32 . .l::!.f2 'iVg6 0-1 Parmentier-Moskalenko, Banyoles 2005. 8... �d7 9.hS?! White insists on his dangerous strategy based on the march of the h-pawn. 9.g3!? would revert to the fianchetto lines. 9 ...fS!? This advance enables Black to gain space.

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 ... c4 -

• .t � i. '' .t ' i8i i8 � 8 8 ttJ 8 8 :g: � iY'w � :g:

threatening mate in a few moves with ...'li!Yd8-e8-h5-h 2 . 24 ... 'ifde 2s.:11 @he 2s . .i.d2 l:f.g8 27.l:f.xf2 gxf2+ 28.@xf2 .i.h4+ 29.@g1 .i.g3 30.lllf1 'ifh4 31 .lllxg3 'ifxg3 32 . .i.f1 'ifxf3 33.h6

1 O.l:.b1 �:- I O.exf6 gxf6! 1 1 .J::r.b l e5! and Black

;eizes the initiative. 1 0... lllh 6! -=-::ie knight can take a safe trip to f7 and ::�epare ...g7-g5. 1 1 . .i.e2 .i.e7 1 2.0-0 l:f.ce ?':"e\·enring b2-b3 , White's only threat . ..:...::iother option was 1 2 ...i¥c7!?. 1 3. l:f.e1 lllf7! 1 4. 'ifc2 'ifc7 1 5.lllh 2 g5!?t

i. • i. i i � .t .t � ' ' � i8ii8 i8 8 8 8 VJ!i tt:J � 8 8 QJ bi: � bi: w

-=-he f- and g-pawns will serve as heavy -.,·eaponry in the impending attack "-gainst White's fortress. 1 6.lllhf1 g4 1 7.llle3 lllg 5 1 8. 'ifd1 -=-his move signifies that the white pieces "-re in complete zugzwang. 1 8... %3 1 9. .i.f1 lllxd2 20. .hd2 llle4 21 . .i.c1 g3 22.f3 lllf2 23. 'ifc2 0-0!-+ 3lack completes his development, with a �uick win in sight. 24 . .i.e2 :f White plays 24.tt:ldl , the simple 2-L.tt:lxdl 25.iVxd l f4! decides matters,

The last of three 'aggressive' moves by the American GM in this game (h4-h5-h6). 33 ... l:f.g6 34.l:[e1 l:tcge 35 . .i.c1 .i.a4 36. 'ifd2 'ifg4 37. 'iff2 'ifh5 38 . .i.f4 l:f.g4 39.l:f.e3 l:f.h4 40. 'iff3 l:f.h1 + 41 . @12 l:f.g4 0-1 It is clear that Shabalov's plan, spending two tempi with the h-pawn in order to send it nowhere, is not very useful. The rest of the white army was not able to become active and Black comfortably prepared his counterattack on the king­ side, by pushing his f- and g-pawns. B) Games 16-19: g2-g3 Petrosian rarely attacked his opponents directly. First he would focus on not al­ lowing them too much counterplay, and then he would take advantage of their mistakes. Combinations, sacrifices and tactics could wait. The following game is an excellent example, indicating the best path in this line.

GAME 16 Peter Clarke Tigran Petrosian Munich ol 1 958 (8)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 cs 4.c3 'ifb6 5.lllf3 lllc6 6.a3 c4 69

Part I

-

Advance Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS

This blockading move brought Tigran Petrosian, the seventh World Champion, several outstanding strategic victories, and it certainly suited his style! 7.g3

• Lt ,. I ''' ' i8 i8 � � 8 8 l::l ttJ � iV w � I: .i. '' 'ii' ,.

White prepares the classical fianchetto. I think that inserting 7.tllb d2! is better, forcing 7...tlla S! or 7 .. .f6!?. 7 ... ..td7 7 .. .f6!? is an interesting try, see Game 20. e. ..tg2 o-o-o 8 ...tlla S would transpose into the usual positions: 9.tllbd2 tlle 7 1 0.0-0 fS!? (or I O .. h6 1 1 ..l:lbl 'it'c7 1 2 . .l:!.el tllc 8 1 3 .tllfl tllb 6 14.tlle 3 0-0-0+:t Havranek-Prand­ stetter, Decin 1 996) l l .exf6 (1 1 .tllg S!?) l l ...gxf6 1 2 .tllh4 0-0-0! 1 3 .�hS?! (13.f4? es+) 13 ... �e8 14.'ife2 tllg 6 (14 ... gg7!? 1 5. gh3 gd7 1 6 . .l:!.el eS:+) 1 5.tlldf3 gf7 (� 1 5 ...tllb3 1 6 . .l:!.bl gf7+) 1 6.ge3 'it>b8!? and Black retains the better chances in the centre, Golod-Finkel, Ramat Aviv/Modiin ch-ISR 2000. 9.0-0 tiJaS 1 0. lbbd2 .

1 0 ... hS! If IO ... Wb8 1 1 .tllg S!? intending ! 2.f4. 70

1 1 . .l:e1 In the Labyrinth System, two useful ma­ noeuvres are: !!.el , to face .. .f7-f6, and .ld.bl , preparing b2-b3. 1 1 ... lbe7 1 2. lbf1 lLlfS 1 3.lbe3 1 3.g4 tlle 7 14 . .l:!.bl tllg 6+:t. 1 3 ... lbxe3 Simplifications tend to favour Black in this line. 1 4.:Xe3 A) Worse would be 14.fxe3?! fS! 1 5.exf6 gxf6 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7. .l::!.xe4 eS!i. B) However, 14.gxe3 was interesting:

•1 j_

.i. I '' l ' i8 i8 8 8 � t2J 8 8�� � l::l 'iY l::l �

'' � ,.

analysis diagram

14...�xb2!? (14... �e7+:t) 1 5 . .l:!.bl 'ifa2! l 6 . .l:!.e2 'ifxa3 17. .l:!.a I 'it'b3 and Black keeps a material advantage. 1 4 ... ..te7 1 5 . .l:e1 'it'b3! 1 6.'ii'e2 1 6 .�xb3 tllxb3 with the idea ...b7-b5, ... a7-a5, bS-b4+. 1 6 ... .ia4 1 7. ..te3 'itb8 Planning ... .l:!.c8-c6-b6, pressing on b2. l 7...'ifc2!? was also possible. 1 8 . .l:ad1 ! 'it'c2 1 9. .l:d2 'it'fS 20. .l:f1 gs!-

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 c4 -

The Tiger starts one of his famous coun­ :erattacks, this time with his g- and '.:i-pawns. 21 .h3 hS! 22.lllh 2 .l:l.dg8 23.g4 The blockade does not work. 23.f4 g4 24.h4 would have left White without counterplay. 23 ... \i'g6 24. i.f3 .\lso 24.f4 gxf4 25.�xf4 hxg4 26.tLlxg4 :g7+. 24 ... hxg4 25.hg4 lllc 6! 26.f3 i.d8 27.i.f2 �7 28 . .l:l.e1 .l:l.h6 29.tllf 1 .l:l.gh8 30 . ..tg3

...

GAME 17 Sergei Movsesian (2624) Teimour Radjabov (26 1 0) Sarajevo 2002 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.es cs 4.c3 lllc6 5.lllf3 'ii' b6 6.a3 c4 7. tllbd2 7.g3 �d7 8 . �h3 �e7 9.0-0 h5 10.'Wie2 tLla5 l l . �g5 tLlb3+ Hermann-Van der Wiel, Bochum 1 9 8 1 . 1. . .ll'la s e.g3

.I

�' i 'if .I i8 i i8 � 8 8 8�8 8 J:: 'Vi J:: ttJ � 30... .l:l.xh3!-+ _\ well-prepared sacrifice which destroys :he enemy's fortress. 31 . hh3 .l:l.xh3 32. 'fi'g2 'ii' h7 33.�3 lllg6 The white pieces cannot protect their king. 34 ... g4 and 35 ... �g5 will be next. 34.tllg4 lllf4 35.hf4 gxf4 36.@11 .l:l.g3 37.'ii'f2 Or 37.°iVh2 l:Ixf3+ 38.l:rf2 .I:!.h3 39.'Wixf4 :hi+ 40.We2 'Wid3#. 37... 'ii'h 3+ 38.�e2 .l:l.g2 39 . .l:l.g1 .l:l.xf2+ 40.tllxf2 'fi'h7 41 . .l:l.h1 \i'g6 \Vhite resigned . .\ classic game, in which Petrosian demonstrated a good set-up for Black, with his active pieces combining well with the march of the g- and h-pawns. In the next game an Azeri grandmas­ ter found the best way to meet the '.\rmenian Fianchetto' (a bit of politics!).

8... .td7! In many variations of the French Defence the most natural plan for Black is to complete the development of his queenside, while White castles kingside. PLAN: However, 8 ... h6!? is pas­ �� sible: 9.tLlh4 �d7 1 0.tLlg2 0-0-0 l I .tLle3?! Malaniuk-G.Kuzmin, Nikolaev Zonal 1 995, and now the best move is l I ...f6! 12.f4 gS!t. 9. i.h3

r�l

This way of developing the bishop, em­ ployed by several Armenian masters, is quite odd and could be called the 71

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 .e5 .

'Armenian Fianchetto'. The most natural option is to play 9.h4 first. This we will call the 'Austrian Fianchetto' and it will feature in Games 1 8 and 1 9. 9 ... .te7! The most efficient defence, preventing ci:JgS and preparing ... g7-g5 and ... h7-h5.

Motylev-Balashov, Ekaterinburg tt 2002. 1 0.0-0 Castling followed by tt:Je 1 looks the most solid. Another Armenian GM unsuccessfully tried 10.l:!'.bl h5!

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

PLAN: Petrosian's old way of play­ ing in typical 'Labyrinth fashion' would be 9 ...ci:Je7 10.0-0 g6!? (10 ... h6!? 1 1 .l:!'.bl ci:Jec6 1 2 .ci:Jel .il.e7 with scope for creative play, Pinter-Farago, Budapest ch-HUN 1 976) 1 1..l:b :!. l h6 1 2.ci:Jh4 0-0-0 1 3 .ci:Jg2 �b8 14.ci:Je3 ld'.c8 1 5.ci:Jg4 .il.g7 l 6 . .ig2 '/2-'/2 Zaitsev­ Petrosian, Sochi 1977. PLAN: Things do not change much after 9... h6 1 0.0-0 ci:Je7 1 1 ..t:l'.el (1 1 .ci:Jel 0-0-0 1 2.ci:Jg2 �b8 1 3 .l::rb l= Lobron-Hjartarson, Manila izt 1 990) (1 1 .ci:Jh4 tt:Jec6 1 2.f4 0-0-0+± Psakhis-Farago, Banja Luka 1985) 1 1 ... 0-0-0 1 2.I:i.bl �b8= when Black can be happy with the outcome of the opening. PLAN: The most complicated move order is 9 ... 0-0-0 10.0-0 h6 1 1 .ci:Jel h5! 1 2.ci:Jdf3 ci:Jb3 13 . .l:'!bl ci:Jxcl (13 .. .f6!?+±) 14.°iYxcl .il.a4 1 5 .ci:Jg5 ci:Jh6 1 6 .f4 g6 (16 ... h4!i) 1 7.ci:Jg2 .ie7 with equal chances, 72

1 1 .0-0 (1 1 . .il.g2 h4 1 2 .h3 hxg3 1 3 .fxg3 ci:Jh6 14.g4 0-0-0+ Etchegaray-Apicella, Nantes ch-FRA 1 993) 1 1 ....ib5!?. Now Psakhis comments: 'Black wants to stop b2-b3 while preparing the typical manoeuvre ... .il.c6 and ...tt:Ja4. In antici­ pation of the coming tt:Je 1 Black is ready to answer ...ci:Jb3 ! (although maybe 1 1 ... g5!? would be good enough, Stilling-Van Manen, corr 1 990) 1 2 . a4?! stops Black's plan, but the a4-pawn will become a real target: 1 2 ... .il.c6 1 3 . .l:i.el gS! 14 . .il.fl g4 1 5.ci:Jh4 �xh4 1 6.gxh4 ci:Je7t. There is a strong threat: ... ci:Je7-f5-h4, Art. Minasian-Kortchnoi, Ohrid Ech 200 1 .' 1 0 ... hS!? This advance reveals the disadvantage of the plan with .il.h3 without the prelim­ inary h2-h4. Now Black threatens ... h5h4 or ...g5-g4. 1 1 . 'ife2 Or 1 1 .ci:Jel g5! with the idea 1 2.f4? g4 13.�g2 ci:Jh6+ followed by ... ci:Jf5, ... h5h4+. 1 1 ... 0-0-0=F � WEAPON: Or l l ...g5!?. 1 2.0.e1

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 ... c4 -

�I 9I .i. � i i i i 8 .i i8 8 8 Jl 8 8 Ci'J VJ/i 8 8 l::t � tLl l::t �

9 .i. � I iii i i8 i8 8 8 8 Ci'J 8 8 CD 8 l::t Jl VJli � Jl l::t

-=-his is a key moment in the opening: 3lack has a better position. 1 2 ... 96?! -=-his weak move allows White to block :ie kingside /fl*- WEAPON: 1 2 ... gS! was much stronger, with a clear initiative for Black. 1 3.f4 .\"ow the position is balanced. 1 3 ... tLlh6 1 4.tLldf3 lLib3 1 S . .l:[b1 lLixc1 1 6. lb:c1 .l:[dg8 1 7. lLigS 'ii'dB 1 8.'ii'd2 bS 1 9. lLic2 �b8 20 . .l:[b1 'ifc7 21 .lLib4 c;i;ia8 22 . .l:[a1 as 23.lLic2 :be 24. .l:[fb1 .l:[b6 2S.�g2 c;i;ib8 26. �f3 %-%

9 ...0-0-0!? Now queenside castling is logical. White has spent two tempi on g2-g3 and h2-h4. �LAN: Anot�er orig�nal manoeuvre - � is 9...�c6 with the idea ...'*1Ua4, see the comments to Game 22. 1 0.�h3 This looks natural, but it is still difficult to assess whether this is the best square for the bishop . 10.hS?! is an absurd move. We al­ ready know that the march of the h-pawn only weakens White's position: 10 ...tt'ih6!? l 1 .�h3 f6 (1 1 ...fS!?) 1 2 .'*1Ue2 tt'if7 1 3 .0-0 fS!+ In the game Maslak­ Asrian, Moscow 2007, after constructing the 'Portisch-Stonewall' (see the main game), Black won by preparing a typical attack with ...g7-g6-g5. 1 0...fS!?

Summary: -=-he 'Armenian fianchetto' with �3 md without h2-h4 must be incorrect. _-\ccording to strategic rules, the bishop :s better placed behind its pawns.

.i.

[f'l

GAME 18

Josef Klinger (2430) Lajos Portisch (2630) Dubai 1 986 (2)

1 .e4 cs 2.c3 e6 3.d4 dS 4.es lLic6 S.lLlf3 'ii' b6 6.a3 c4 =n the 1 950s Portisch often used the idea ::>f 6 ...tt'ih6 (see Chapter 1). 7.g3 �d7 e.tLibd2 tLias 9.h4 ?erhaps this preparatory advance is more effective than the direct 9.�h3.

analysis diagram

This is Portisch's plan: an aggressive break in the spirit of the Dutch Defence. The bishop on h3 will face a 'stonewall'! 73

Part I - Advance Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es More common was 10 ... tl:ie7 1 1 .0-0 h6 1 2.�e2 (12 . .!:tbl @b8oo with a satisfac­ tory position, Sax-Knaak, Szirak 1 985) 12 ...tl:iec6 1 3 .hS .Y;_e7 14. .!::f.e l .!::f.dg8 1 5 .tl:ifl tl:ib3 16 . .!::f.b l g6! 1 7.hxg6 ld.xg6 1 8.@h2 h5-+ with an initiative for Black on the kingside, Flugzeug-CapNemo, playchess.com 2007 1 1 .0-0 The critical moment in this line. Logi­ cally, the bishop on h3 should aid White in the fight against f6 or f5, by attacking the h3-c8 diagonal. But bad now is 1 1 .exf6?! gxf6! ... Theory giant grandmaster Lajos Portisch ( 1 9 3 7) always demonstrated a fine knowledge of the French Defence .

ii � � analysis diagram

... with a strong initiative for Black, who controls the greater part of the board: 1 2.0-0 tl:ih6 1 3.lte l tl:if5!? (13 ... .!::f.g 8!?) (13 ... eSoo Yilmaz-Moskalenko, Ankara 2010) 14 . .!:tbl (14.tl:ifl j;_d6t) 14 ... �d6t Averell-Antonaustirol, playchess.com 2008. 1 1 ... ttJhG! Preparing ...tl:if7 and ... g7-g5. 1 I ...i.e7!? 1 2 . .!::f.e l ti:Jh6 (12 .. .f4!?) 1 3 . .!::f.b l tl:if7+:t 1/2- 1/2 (55) L. Schut-Moskalenko, L'Estartit 20 0 8. 1 2.tbe1 ? ! A dubious manoeuvre. A tenser continuation is 1 2.ti:JgS .Y;_e7 with the idea 1 3 . .l:!.bl .Y;_xg5! 14.hxgS tl:if7+:t with excellent possibilities for Black. 1 2 ... ttJf1 1 a.ttJg2 gs!74

• .! .t

.t �

i i8ii i8 8 8 8 8� 8 ttJ 8 <1J : � 'ii' : �

After only a few moves Black has achieved a very promising position. As also happened in several previous games, the f- and g-pawns start an assault on the white king's fortress. 1 4.hxgS tbxgS 1 5.tlJf4 tbxh3+ Exchanging White's best piece. 1 5 ... hS!?. 1 6.tbxh3 Jl..e7 1 7.l:l.b1 White's counterplay is clearly too slow. 1 7... l:l.dgB! The second phase of the game begins: converting the advantage. 1 8.ttJf3 h6! Controlling the g5-point. 1 9. il..e3 ttJb3

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . . c4 -

A model game by the Hungarian grand­ master. White's strategy (the fianchetto g3-h4-..th3) was refuted with great elegance. The key moves of the 'Portisch Stonewall' are 9... 0-0-0, 10 .. .fS ! and then an attack with the kingside pawns. Perhaps in this case the best square for the fl -bishop is e2 or g2. More ideas with g2-g3/h2-h4: _.\c the moment the knight on b3 blocks :he queenside, but later it will have to :-ecurn through the 'labyrinth': ...li:Jb3 a5-c6-d8-f7-g5. : 9...'iid 8!?:+. 20.@g2 'ii'd 8! :-he black queen helps her musket­ eers! As in several other games in this -:: hapter, Black prepares a decisive attack ;m the kingside. 21 .l:r.h1 hS! 22. 'iVe2 h4-+ The rest is a matter of style and taste. 23. li:Jf4 'iVee 24.l:r.h3 hxg3 25.fxg3 .:.Xh3 2s.tt:Jxh3 'ifgs 21. ..tt4 tt:Jas 2e. .:.h1 tt:Jc6 29. 1i'e3 tt:Jde 30 . ..tgs "ii'g7 31 . 1i'f4 ..ta4! ?ortisch releases the genie from the bottle!

This is a classic example of a successful game, with the �c8 traversing the route c8-d7-a4-c2-e4. 32.he7 'iVxe7 33. 'ifh6 ..tc2! 34.li:Jf4 ..te4 35.li:JhS li:Jf7 36. 1i'f6 'iVd7 37.li:Jf4 li:JgS 38.l:r.hO hf3+ 39.�f1 .:.Xh8 40.'ii'x hO+ 'ii'd8 0-1

GAME 19 Vasily lvanchuk (2699) Evgeny Bareev (2729) Monaco (blind) 2003 ( 1 1 )

1 .e4 e6 An old favourite of Evgeny Bareev, who by this time had already switched to the Caro-Kann. 2.d4 dS 3.es cs 4.c3 tt:Jc6 s.tt:Jf3 'iVb6 6.a3 c4 7.li:Jbd2 tt:Jas 8.g3 ..td7 9.h4 White has spent two tempi on the ad­ vance of his g- and h-pawns . 9 ... lt:Je7!? This is a typical, flexible manoeuvre in these positions. From here there are four possible jumps for the knight: ... tt:lc6/c8/ g6/f5.

In the previous game, Portisch played 9... 0-0-0!?. 1 0. li:JgS A slow attempt to improve the knight's position. The popular alternatives played on the Internet don't offer too much: 75

Part I Advance Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 . d4 d5 3 .e5 -

10.I:rbl lt:Jec6 l 1 . Jl.h3 £.e7 (1 1 ...'l!Vc7 1 2.0-0 h6 1 3.ltJh2 £.e7 14.f4 0-0-0 1 5.fS? exf5 16.Jl.xf5 �xfS 1 7.l:Ixf5 f6+ Gemini-CapNemo, playchess.com 2006) 1 2.0-0

analysis diagram

1 2 ...�c7 ( 1 2 ... 0-0=) 13 .tt::lh2 0-0-0!? 14.f4 fS 1 5.tt::lhf3 h6 1 6.g4?! fxg4 1 7.Jl.xg4 g6 1 8 . .!:l'.f2 �df8+ Stevic­ Moskalenko, playchess.com 2006.

r �1

PLAN: l O . ..th3 tt::lec6 (10 ... h6!? li:� 1 1 .l:Ibl tt::lec6 1 2 .tt::lf l ii..e 7 1 3 .hS tt::lb 3 1 4.Jl.f4 0-0-0 1 5 .tt::le 3 tt::lba5 1 6.0-0 l:tdg8 1 7.tt::lh 2 'l!Vd8 1 8.'l!Vf3 g5 1 9.hxg6 fxg6 20.lt:Jg2 g5!-+ BenoitP08-CapNemo, playchess. com 2007) 1 1 .0-0 Jl.e7 1 2.tt::lh 2 0-0-0 13.l:i.el h6 14.hS l:i.dg8

analysis diagram

15.l:Ibl (15.tt::lg 4 'l!Vd8 1 6 . .l:f.bl g6 I 7.hxg6 l:Ixg6 1 8 .lt:Je3 hS- Poisseroux­ Moskalenko, playchess.com 2007) 15 ... 'l!Vd8 16.tt::ldfl g6 1 7.hxg6 fxg6! 76

1 8 .tt::le 3 h5 l 9.lt:Jg2 g5-+ BenoitP08CapNemo, playchess.com 2007. 1 o... hs 1 1 . ttJh3 0-0-01

Bareev continues his development with­ out wasting any tempi. 1 2.ltJf4 1 2.'l!Vf3 tt::lfS!?t. 1 2 ... �b8 1 3 . .te2?! lvanchuk keeps trying to solve this jig­ saw puzzle blindfolded! 1 3 ... 'ifc7 There was a good chance to get the initi­ ative with 1 3 .. .f6!? 14.tt::lf3 £.e8!?. Also, 1 3 ... l:Ig8!?; or 1 3 ...g6!?. 1 4.�1

1 4... lbc8!? With the idea of playing ...tt::lb 6-Jl.a4. Breaking with 14 .. .f6!? was another cor­ rect plan. 1 5 . .thS g6 1 6. .te2 lbb6 1 7. 'ife1 .ta4 1 8.�g2 'ifc6 19 . .td1 .te7 20.l:.b1 hd1 21 . 'Wxd1 =i= 112-112 After exchanging £.c8x£.fl , Black is better (21 ...gS!?).

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . . c4 -

Summary of Games 18 and 19: seems that the fianchetto with g2-g3 .md h2-h4 does not prevent Black from successfully completing his plans.

Black is OK after 9.�g2 �d6 1 0.0-0 0-0

=r

C) Games 20 and 21: g2-g3/tllbd2 ...f7-f6 -se conclude the study of the 'Labyrinth s,·scem' by investigating the idea of :he immediate break .. .f7-f6, in several games of an expert on the French ::::>e fence, Wolfgang Uhlmann. -

GAME 20

Vladimir Malaniuk (2575) Wolfgang Uhlmann (2520) Tallinn 1 987 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.es cs 4.c3 tbc6 5.tl:lf3 'irb6 6.a3 c4 7.g3 7his fianchetto, without the moves 7"."8bd2 tlla S, allows a direct counter­ :hrust in the centre. 7...f6!

This classical break is also Uhlmann's fa­ YOurite weapon. Petrosian and Portisch preferred the closed line 7... �d7 (as in the previous games), playing on the flanks. Uhlmann's plan is applicable after 7.-1Jbd2 f6!?, as we will see in Game 2 1 . 8.�h3 Similar to the 'fianchetto Armenia'. A) Against 8.tllh4, 8 ...g6!? is a sufficient defence; B) Here are a few examples from Uhlmann's experience with the line 8.exf6 tllx f6!:

analysis diagram

l l .'iVe2 (there is no time to play l l .tllbd2 eS! 1 2.dxeS �xeS! 1 3 .tllxeS? tllxeSf Przewoznik-Uhlmann, POL-DDR, Zako­ pane 1 980) l 1 ...Wh8 (a key moment. A more effective plan would have been to activate the queen with l l ...�b3!?; or l I ...'ti'c7!?, with excellent counter­ play) 1 2 .tlle S �xeS 1 3 .dxeS tlld 7 14.�e3 tllcs 1 5 .tlld 2 'iVas 1 6.f4 �d7 1 7.�xcS (or 1 7.lladl= Sax-Uhlmann, Sarajevo 1982) 1 7...'ti'xcS+ 1 8.'iVf2 �xf2+ 1 9.1lxf2 g5!+2 as played in C. Alexander-Uhlmann in the finals of the Munich Olympiad. 8 ...fxeS!

The main idea of 7... f6 is to open up the game in Black's favour. 9.tl:lxeS White is worse in the line 9.dxeS?! �cs 1 0.0-0 tllge7 1 1 .tllbd2 0-0 1 2 .WVe2 �d7 13 . .l::i'.b l tlla s+ Diickstein-Uhlmann, Baden bei Wien 1 9 6 1 . 77

Part I - AdvanceVariation: 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 .e5 9 ... lLJxeS 1 0.dxes �cs This looks natural. Another option is 1 0 ...tt:le7!?, activating the knight first. 1 1 . 'iVhS+ g6 1 2. 'ife2 �d7 1 3.tLld2 tLle7 1 4.tLlf3 h6!

This move always protects the dark squares. 1 S.0-0 0-0-0 1 5 ...4.JfS!? was more flexible, aiming to meet 1 6 .g4?! with 1 6 ...tt:le7+, achieving a superior pawn structure. 1 6. l:te1 ?! White could have gained equality with 16.�e3. 16 ... tLlc6 16 ...gS!?. 1 7. 'iVc2? A hasty manoeuvre. 1 7.�e3 was still the only defence. 1 7... l:tdfBt

1 9. �e3 l:tfS 20. �xcs 'ifxcs 21 .h3 l:thf8 22.l:te3 hS! 23. l:tf1 g4 24.hxg4 hxg4 2S. tLlh2 :Xf2 ! ? 26. l:txf2 'iVxe3 27.tLixg4 'iVe1 + 28. �f1 l:tgB 29. 'iVe2 'iVxe2 30. �xe2 l:tgS 3 1 . l:tfB+ 'ifi>c7 32. 'ifi>f2 bS 33. 'ite3 tLixeS 34.tLixeS l:txeS+ 3S. 'itf2 l:tgs 36.�f3 as 37.g4 'ifi>d6 38. 'ifi>g3 :g7 39. 'ith4 b4 40.axb4 axb4 41 .gS+ 112-112

The draw in this position is a gift to White. Summary of Uhlmann's plan: The immediate 7.g3 f6! offers dynamic play. Black's idea is to open up the centre in order to exploit the weaknesses created by g2-g3. However, I am not sure that this is absolutely necessary. Logically, the main idea behind 6 ...c4 is to play with a closed centre, at least until the end of the opening. In the variation with 6 ... c4 it is perhaps better to postpone ... f7-f6 and develop the minor pieces first.

GAME 21 Alexander Grischuk (2669) Yannick Pelletier (2531 ) Biel 2001 (4)

Now Black is clearly better and he keeps the advantage until the end of the game. 1 8. �g2 gS!? 18 ... 1:!.fs+. 78

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.es cs 4.c3 tLic6 S.tLlf3 'iVb6 6.a3 c4 7.tLlbd2 f6 Black does not play the usual 7...lLiaS , but instead exerts pressure on the centre.

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 . . .c4 -

12 . .2.f3 0-0 1 3.�e2 'Wiie ? 14.g3;;!;; T.Pahtz­ Uhlmann, Nordhausen ch-DDR 1 986. 1 0.dxeS

It's not clear at this point who will profit from the immediate opening of the centre. 8. .ie2! The best reply. After castling White will be ready to engage in action in the centre. A) 8.g3?! is similar to the previous game: 8 .. .fxeS ! 9.tDxeS tDxeS 1 0.dxeS �cs 1 1 .'W!ihs+ g6 1 2 .'tWe2 tDe7 1 3 . �g2 �d7 14.0-0 0-0-0+:t Honfi-Uhlmann, Solingen 1 974; B) 8.b3 is not very appealing: 8 ... fxeS 9.bxc4 e4 1 0 .tDM (10.tLlgS tDf6+) lO ... ttJf6 l l .g3?! .2.e7 1 2 . �bl 'tWc7 l3.�e2 0-0 14.0-0 tLlaS with advantage to Black, Enders-Uhlmann, Eggesin ch­ DDR 1978. 8...fxe5! ? This is Uhlmann's plan. Trying to mix .. .f7-f6 with other 'Laby­ rinth' plans would now be a serious mis­ take: 8 ... �d7 9.0-0 0-0-0? 1 0.b3! cxb3 l l .tDxb3 'Wiie? 1 2 . �bl .2.e8 1 3 . �f4i Sveshnikov-Meshkov, Podolsk 1 990. 9.tiJ>CeS 9.dxeS is worse: 9 ... ttJh6 10.0-0 �cs l l .b4 �xf2+N (or 1 1 ....2.e?!?+:t; two games) 1 2 . .l:i.xf2 tLlg4 1 3 .'Wliel 0-0�. 9 ... tiJ>Ce5 Uhlmann's other idea is rapid develop­ ment with 9...tDf6, but White is more comfortable after 1 O.f4! .2.d6 1 1 . .2.hs+ ( ! i .tLldf3, planning 0-0, 'tWc2, @hl , �e3, i s suggested by Sveshnikov) l l ...g6

Another key moment. 1 0.. .tcs .s' TRICK: 1 0 ...ttJh6? l 1 .tLlxc4! dxc4 T.Pahtz-Uhlmann, W 1 2 . .2.xh6-+ Erfurt 198S. 1 1 .0-0 �7 Alternatively, 1 1 ...'W!ic?!? is mteresting, and if 1 2.b4!? as in the main game, Black has 1 2 ... .2.b6!. 1 2.b4!? In this way White gains the bishop pair and he can fight for the initiative, while Black will have the better pawn struc­ ture. A complicated option is 12.�hS+!? g6 1 3.�g4 .

analysis diagram

1 3 ... hS!? ( 1 3 ... .2.d?) (13...0-0) 14. .2.e2 (14.�h3?! gS!) 14 ... �d? l S.�bloo and the game ended in a draw on move S6, Vallejo Pons-Pelletier, Biel 2002. 79

Part I AdvanceVariation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .es -

1 2 ... cxb3 1 3.llJxb3 0-0 1 4. llJxcS 'ii'xcs Uhlmann has played this position three times.

1 5. \i'd3! This is the best square for the white queen. A) The move 1 5 .'iVc2?!, played in Haba­ Uhlmann, Wattens 1 996, is passive. Now 1 5 ...tLlfS!? was best; B) Also after l S.'iVb3 tLlfS 1 6.a4 V/l/c7 1 7.�a3 !:if? 1 8 . .l::f.ael ild7 1 9.�d3 .l:!.c8 20.ilb2 'iVc6= Black's position is not worse, J.L.Roos-Uhlmann, Germany Bundesliga 1 997/98. 1 5 ... 'ii'c 7! The alternatives are worse. 1 6 . ..tgs Black is in good shape after 16.f4

Grandmaster Yan nick Pelletier is another 'Francophile' and a fan of an early . . . f7-f6. In this game he faces one of the greatest experts on the white side of the Advance Variation.

Moves like 1 7...tLlfS!? and 1 7...'iVcs+!? 1 8 .�hl .G.d7+:t are possible improve­ ments for Black. 1 8 . ..thS 'ifcS+

1 9.@h1 ?! An ambitious move by Grischuk. l 9.'iVd4! ? 'iVxd4+ 20.cxd4 g6 would have been equal. 1 9 .. :ne 20.:ab1 ?1 b6 Allowing a dangerous counter. 20 ... tLlfS!+ was necessary, when Black has an almost ideal position. 21 .c4! With complicated play. 21 ... tt:\fS! 22.cxdS h6� .

analysis diagram

1 6 ... .G.d? 1 7.ile3 .G.e8 1 8 . .G.g4 'lWc6! ? 1 9. .l:!.fcl �g6 20.V/l/d4 h S 2 1 . ilh3 .G.fs+ Illijin-Huss, Biel Open 2000. 16 ... :f7!? 1 7.f4 .i.d7 80

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 ... c4 -

K i

i

K• i

i i 'it' LS LS � � � b .t

We will now take a look at the successful career of the expert Evgeny Sveshnikov. We will check a whole series of his games against 6 ... c4 and try to under­ stand his ideas.

GAME 22 Evgeny Sveshnikov (2485) Vereslav Eingorn (2560) Palma de Mallorca 1 989 (7)

:\nd after a sharp and dramatic battle, rhe game ended in a draw on move 6 1 : 23.dxe6 i.xe6 24.i.g6 1Wc4 2S.1i'h3 taJ7 26.i.d3 1Wa2 27.'ifhS ttJfS 28.i.f6 i.dS 29.1i'g6 1Wxg2+ 30. 1Wxg2 i.xg2+ 31 . @xg2 taJ3+ 32.@h3 lLixf1 33.i.e7 l:tfe8 34. i.b4 taJ3 3S.l:te1 as 36.i.d6 l:tad8 37.i.g6 ttJc4 38.he8 l:txe8 39.l:td1 J:ld8 40.J:lc1 lLixd6 41 .exd6 l:txd6 42. @g4 �7 43. �s J:ldS+ 44. @e4 .l:ld2 4S . .l:lc7+ @go 46 . .l:lb7 l:txh2 47.l:txb6 J:lh3 48.fS l:txa3 49. .l:lbB+ @f7 SO . .l:lb7+ �6 S1.l:t b6+ @f7 s2.:b1+ @go s3.i:tbs+ @h7 S4 . .l:lb7 l:ta4+ ss.@es :a1 ss.:a1 @go s1.:as+ @11 sa.:a1+ @gs s9.:as+ ..th7 so.:a1 @he s1 .:as+ @h7 %-% Summary of the breakthrough 7...f6 after 7.tllbd2: This is a dynamic option, but quire risky as well. In general, White gains a lead in development and the bishop pair. It is difficult to analyse all the sharp possibil­ ;ries. In the 6 ... c4 variation, Black is quite solid, so after 7.tllbd2 I recommend that tie postpone playing .. .f7-f6 and activate his minor pieces first. In Game 14, for �nstance, the author successfully tried 7.�bd2 tlla S! 8.�e2 �d7! 9.0-0 and now 9.. .f6!?, although this is still com­ plicated. Summary A) B) C): -

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1 .e4 cs 2.c3 e6 3.d4 dS 4.eS 1i'b6 S.ltJf3 ttJc6 6.a3 c4 7.ltJbd2! Now the main threat is 8.b3 !. 7... lLiaS! In my opinion, this move is forced. The first wins by Sveshnikov are characterized by a harsh punishment of his opponents for their typical mistakes: ..._.-- TRICK: 7...tllg e7?? 8 . �xc4 W dxc4 9.tllxc4 "i¥a6 1 0 .tlld6+ @d7 l l .tllxf7 1:1g8 1 2."i¥c2!?± and Black's position is awful, Sveshnikov-Milos, Budapest 1 988; A) Another dubious option is 7... �d7?!,

analysis diagram

where the expert found 8 .b3!t (if 8.l:1bl tlla S! returning to usual patterns: 9.�e2 tlle 7 1 0 .tllf l "i¥b3 (the exchange of queens is sufficient for equality, but if Black prefers more ambitious play rhe best option is 1 0 ...tllb3) l l .�f4 �a4 1 2."i¥xb3 �xb3 1 3 .tlle 3 tllg 6= Sveshnikov-Eingorn, Sochi 1 985) 8 ... cxb3 9.tllxb3 tlla S 10.tllx aS �xaS l l .�d2 �a4 1 2 .�bl ! �c6 1 3 . �d3± 81

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 .eS (the desired set-up for White) 1 3 ...tt:Jel 14.0-0 h6 1 5.l:lc l ! tt:Jc8?! 1 6.c4! dxc4 l l.l:lxc4 'li'b5 1 8.'iYxbS .2.xb5 1 9. l:lxc8+ Ii.xc8 20 . .2.xb5+ and White won in Sveshnikov-Timman, Tilburg 1 992; B) There was only one game with the French break l.. .f6, which went 8 . .2.e2 gd7?! (another typical mistake, mixing different plans. A better option is 8 ... fxe5, Game 21) 9.0-0 0-0-0? 1 0.b3! t cxb3 l l .tiJxb3 'li'cl 1 2 . l:lbl .2.e8 13 . .2.f4±, Sveshnikov-Meshkov, Podolsk 1 990. 8.�e2 In recent years Sveshnikov has pre­ ferred the fianchetto 8.g3 .2.dl 9.h4 (9. .2.h3 is the 'Armenian fianchetto': 9... f5? (9... .2.el! is the most effective move, see Game 1 7) 10.exf6 gxf6 1 1 .0-0 0-0-0 1 2 . .l:t.bl �gl 1 3 . .!:!.el tt:Jh6 14.b3 ! cxb3 1 5.tt:Jxb3 .l::!.de8 16.�xh6! .2.xh6 l l.tlJc5 'ti'c6 1 8 .c4!-+ Sveshnikov-Simon Padros, Calvia 2001) and now:

Cheliabinsk 2004; the sharpest game continued: 9...°iYc6!? 10.tLlg5 h6 1 1 .lLlh3 'ti'a4 12."i!Vf3 V!fc2 1 3.lLlf4 tLlel 14.tLlg2 'ti'hl 1 5.b4! ! cxb3 1 6 . .2.d3 "i!Vg8 ll.l:lbl .2.a4 1 8.tLle3 l:lc8 1 9.c4!t dxc4 20.tLldxc4 lLlxc4 2 1 .tLlxc4 tLld5 22 . .2.d2 .2.el 23.0-0 g5? 24.h5 Vifgl 25.tLle3 .2.c6 26.lLlxd5 .2.xd5 2l. .2.e4 g4 28.'iVe2 .2.c4 29. .2.d3 gd5 30 . .2.bs+ l:lc6? 3 1 ..2.xc6+ bxc6 32.l:lxb3!? gxb3 33.l:lbl 0-0? 34.l:lxb3± Sveshnikov-Eingorn, Sochi 1 986) 10 . .2.h3 f5! 1 1 .exf6 gxf6 12.0-0 lLlh6 13 .l:lel -2.gl (13 ...lLlf5!? - Game 1 8) 14.l:lbl .l::!.he8 15.'iVc2 e5! 16.�xdl+ .!:!.xdl l l.'li'xhl?! f5 1 8 .h5?? e4-+ ... this was Sveshnikov's only defeat (after 36 moves), Sveshnikov­ Batchuluun, Turin Olympiad 2006. Summarizing: In the fianchetto lines Sveshnikov has not demonstrated any advantage or, for that matter, any especially effective plans for White. He gained his points thanks to his opponents' lack of knowledge or lack of attention in the sharp middlegame. 8... �d7 9.0-0

analysis diagram

9... 0-0-0 (the best plan, intending 10 ... f5!, which was discovered by Portisch - see Game l l; 9... h5 10.gh3?! lLlh6 1 1 .tLlfl tLlb3t 1 2.l:lbl tLlxcl 1 3.'ti'xcl 0-0-0 (13 ... ga4!) 14.tLle3 @b8 15.0-0 .2.el 1 6.tLlg2 g6 l l.tLlf4 �a4!=F Sveshnikov-Balashov, Novgorod 1 995; 9 ... tLlel!? (see also Game 12) 10 . .2.h3 �cl 1 1 .0-0 tLlc8 12.tLlel h5?! 13.l:lbl tLlb6 14.tLldf3 0-0-0 15.gg5 l:le8 1 6.tLlg2 .2.a4 ll.'li'e2 tLldl 1 8 .tLle3 @b8 1 9.gf4 tLlc6 20.l:lbeloo Sveshnikov-Golovanov, 82

This is a key moment in the line with 8 . .2.e2 (see Games 1 1 - 1 5). 9 ... t2Je7 1 0.l:te1 Awaiting the action in the centre. An equivalent alternative is 1 0. l:lbl ! ? and now: 1 0 ...h 6 ! ? (the old defence used by Petrosian. 10 ... tLlec6 1 1 . l:le l gel 1 2.'li'c2 l:lc8 ! ? 1 3 .lLlfl 'ti'b3 ! ? 1 4. gdl 'li'xc2 1 5. gxc2 tt:Jb3= Sveshnikov­ Donchev, Lvov 1983; 1 0 ... .2.b5! ? is an

Chapter 6 Labyrinths of the Old System: 6 ... c4 -

idea that looks odd to me: 1 1 .tlle l tllb 3 12.tllxb3 �a4 13 . .2.f4 �xb3 14.'ifd2 .'.bc6 1 5 .g3 tlla 5 1 6 .tllg2 �a4 1 7.�h5 �e7 1 8 .h4 h6 1 9.�e3 g6 20.�f3 tllb 3 21 .'ife2 0-0-0= Sveshnikov-Ivkov, Sochi 1 983) l 1 ..l:1el .2.c6 (1 1 ...tllc 8 1 2 .tllfl �b3?! 1 3.'ifxb3 tllxb3 14 . .2.f4 �a4 1 5 .tllg3 b5?! 1 6 .tllh 5oo Sveshnikov-Lutz, Berlin 1 989) 1 2 .tllfl "ifb3?! (better is 12 ... tllb 3 or 12 ... 0-0-0) 1 3 . �f4 �a4 14.'llVc l "ilib6 1 5 .tll3 d2 tllg 6 16 . .2.e3 ·8h4 1 7.f4 h5 1 8 . �f2 tllf5 1 9.tllg3 8xg3 20 . .2.xg3= Sveshnikov-Eingorn, Riga ch-URS 1985. 10... 'it'c6!? Showing a certain obsession with reach­ ing the 'magical' square a4 and ex­ changing the queens, but 1 0 ...tllec6 (or I O ...tllg 6!?) is more natural: 1 1 .�fl .2.e7 12.g3 0-0!?=. IO ... h6!? is also very solid, for example: I I ."ifc2 0-0-0 12 . .l:1bl @b8

analysis diagram

13 . .2.dl (1 3 .tllfl 'ii'b 3 1 4."ilixb3 tllxb3 1 5 . .2.f4 tllc 8 1 6 .tllg 3 1/2- 1/2 Sveshnikov­ �ikolenko, Moscow 1 991) 1 3 ... .l:1c8 (13 ...'ii'c 7 1 4.tllfl tllc 8 1 5.�e3 tllb 6 '.V /2 Sveshnikov-Vaisser, Sochi 1 985) 14.tllf l tllb 3!? 1 5. �f4 @as 16.tllg3 �a4 (16 .. .f5! ?) 1 7."ifeloo Sveshnikov-Casper, \foscow II 1 987. 1 1 . 'it'c2 ttJc:a This manoeuvre is not forced, but Ein­ gorn always brings his g8-knight to the queenside.

I

�

.I. .I.

� 8 : 1 2. ltJgS

� .I.

9 t! j_

.I.

.1. 8 8

.i

.I. .I. .I.

•

8 ttJ 8 V/if {ij .§i 8 8 8 � : �

1 2 . �dl tllb6 1 3 .tllf l (13 . .!d'.bl �a4!) 1 3 ...tllb 3 14 . .l:1bl tllx cl ! ?+:t. 1 2 ... h6 1 3.ltJh3 lLib6 1 4. ltJf4 0-0-0 1 5.lLihS 'it'c7 1 6.a4! TRICK: If 16 . .l:!.bl?? �a4! and the white queen has great trouble in escaping. 1 6 ... .tcs 1 7 . .td1 @be 1 a . .:e3!? Sveshnikov, on the other hand, always brings his army to the kingside.

ti(

1 8 ... .:ca 1 9.l:[g3 g6 20.tLit6 lLid7! Trying to exchange some pieces. 21 . ltJxd7+ 'ii'xd7 22.l:[f3 l:[c7 23. 'it'b1 'it'e8 24.h4?! A dubious advance, weakening his king. However, the two players are playing on different sides of the board. 24.b4!?. 24 ... hS?! A symmetrical mistake. Why not 24... g5!? or 24... .2.e7!?. 25.l:[g3 .td7 26.ltJf3 lLib3 27.hb3 cxb3 28.aS �bS 29.�gS �e2 30.�f6 l:[g8 31 .ltJgS �h6 32.ltJh3 �g4 33. �gS hh3 Sticking to the same strategy. 83

Part I - Advance Variation: l .e4 e6 2 . d 4 d5 3 .e5 34Jlxh3 .bgS 35.hxgS 'irda 3S. .:lg3 36.'tWcl !?. 3S... :cs 37. 'irf1 :as 3a. 'irbS :ea 39.c4 dxc4 40. .:lc3 :cs 41 .:Xc4 lbc4 42. 'irxc4 'Wxg5 43.aS :ca 44.'Wxb3 .:lc1 + 45.:Xc1 'irxc1 + 4S.�h2 'iff4+ Y2-% It's perpetual check. Summary of the players and plans: In most of his games Sveshnikov wins by taking advantage of his opponents' mistakes, but he obtains positions with no advantage. Grandmaster Eingorn, a reputed expert and a 'fan' of this line, followed his own concepts: trying to exchange the queens and to simplify the position as much as possible. This is the reason why he made some mistakes at key moments in his games against Sveshnikov. Tigran Petrosian has demonstrated some very rich possibilities in these posi­ tions, looking for creative plans instead of exchanging pieces. The most successful try was the 'Stonewall' set-up created by Portisch, and later also used by Rafael Vaganian. •

•

•

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� Statistics - Summary of the Old Blockade System Nowadays the most popular continuation for Black is the blockading move 6 ... c4, preventing 7.b4 - we can find almost 3000 games (2840, approximately) in Mega­ Base, with an equal score for the two sides. • In this line the play is not spectacular during the initial moves, but it is a solid de­ fence which allows for a sharp middlegame and enjoyable tactics at a later stage. • White has some space advantage, but this factor is not too relevant in the po­ sitions that arise. • After castling queenside, Black often succeeds in developing an initiative on the kingside. • This seems to be another good and creative possibility for Black after 6.a3 - as long as you do not get lost in the Labyrinth! Focus your attention on the games played by the experts! Conclusions on the Advance Variation: At the moment, and after a long study of the various ways of playing against 3.eS, I am satisfied with both lines, since they allow Black to play real chess. I would point out that nowadays the historical move 3 .eS is not as popular as 3 . tl:lc3 (see Parts Three and Four) , so you should simply choose one of the two sys­ tems ( I . Forcing a counterattack with 5./6 ... 'tWb6/ tl:lh6, or 2. The solid plan with 6 ... c4) and study it well, in order to develop a strong weapon against the ambitious Advance Variation. 84

Part Two Weapons and Dog mas Tarrasch Variation - 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. ltJd2

Dedicated to Siegbert Tarrasch, Vasily Ivanchuk and Michael Adams A

Repertoire for White and for Black 'Dogmas exist to camouflage defects and fears' - the author

The illustrious grandmaster Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch ( 1 8 62- 1 934) was well known as an 'anti-dogmatic' chess player in the end of the I 9th-beginning of the 20th century. He was the first to play 3 . t2:ld 2 against the French.

A Bit of History In the period 1 8 9 1 -94, Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch played (in Germany) the historic first three games with the move 3 .4Jd2 and won them all. But during the rest of his career he mainly played 3 .4Jc3 when facing the French Defence. It should be noted that the (French) line 3 .4Jd2 cS 4.exdS exdS is quite similar to the Queen's Gambit with an iso­ lated pawn on dS, and thus it resembles the Tarrasch Defence. The theoretical question is: where in the French Defence is Tarrasch most conspicuously present? Strategies and Problems 3 .4Jd2 is undoubtedly more flexible than 3.eS. It supports the pawn on e4 and of85

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . ll'id2 fers a foundation for lines with very different structures and styles of play. It is true that it allows Black secondary escapes such as 3 ...dxe4, or, for instance, going into the Tarrasch Variation with 3 ... cS 4.exdS exdS. However, as we have already commented, the main aim of this book is getting to understand the genuine French Defence variations. The main problem for Black when facing 3 . tlld 2 is how to achieve satisfactory counterplay. In order to solve this problem, in Chapters 7-1 1 we will check the main lines after 3 ... tllf6 4.eS tllfd7, analysing some of the most interesting and dynamic lines in my repertoire. In most of the variations in Part Two, the keys that lead to black counterplay are the thematic breaks ... c7-c5 and .. .f7-f6. Exotic Deviations Chapter 1 2 - Investigates modern ideas like 3 ... �e7, an odd 'poker-style' move. Chapter 1 3 - Here we examine 3 .. cS 4.exdS �xdS!?, an interesting hybrid defence in French-Scandinavian style. .

This part is useful for increasing the second player's arsenal of weapons against 3 .tlld 2, in order to make his black repertoire more universal.

86

Chapter 7

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Beyond Tarrasch

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2 tllf6 4.es tllfd7

Introduction Ukrainian grandmaster Vasily Ivanchuk is one of the best-known modern chess players. In 2007 he reached second place in the world rankings. He tends to play all theoretical variations without any clear preference. However, when facing the French Defence he used to play 3 .tlld 2 very often; he played this move even in our last game in Barcelona 2005! - see Game 23. In this important key game we will discover some things about the French Defence; and we will try to expose some persistent dogmas and to show some new weapons.

Ukrainian top grandmaster Vasily !vanchuk (born I 969) is an incredibly versatile open­ ing player. But against the French Defence. he used to preferTarrasch's move 3 . /2Jd2.

Directions and Concepts In my view (I play this opening with black), if Black wants to enjoy the true spirit of the French Defence he should continue 3 ...tllf6!?. As usual, the pressure on e4 forces White to close the centre with 4.eS (4.�d3 cS 5.eS tllfd7 is a similar line). After 4 ...tllfd7 (see diagram above) the genuinely French (tem­ porarily blocked) positions arise. The black knight on d7 is rather passive (whereas in the Advance Variation 3.eS it is more flexible on its original g8-square). For this reason, Black must attack the centre immediately with his pawns by ... c7-c5 and .. .f7-f6, activating his minor pieces as well. In this position White has five interesting plans at his disposal, which we will inves­ tigate here and in the following chapters.

87

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:ld2 Dynamic alternatives in the most popular lines - 5.c3 c5 6.Qd3 tllc 6 7. tlle 2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 tllxf6 I O. tllf3 �d6 1 1 .0-0

Here Black has two different possibilities: 11 ... 0-0, see Game 23, and 11 ...'iVc7, see Game 24. Black can prepare the thematic sacrifice . . . llx tllf3 . This is an important resource in the middlegame, but also after the queens are exchanged.

88

Chapter 7 - Beyond Tarrasch: 3 . . . tLlf6 4.e5 tLlfd 7 Beyond Tarrasch - Games When analysing Ivanchuk's games, I noticed a little detail: sometimes he is un­ comfortable when his opponents counter­ attack! In certain cases he prefers to play safer, technical lines, trying to exploit a minimal advantage. This knowledge was the key to my preparation and my strategy during this important game (we had both won our three previous games in this short tournament).

A) Theory has always condemned 7... f6. Psakhis: 'This once popular move can today only be encountered in the first rounds of open tournaments.' However, we will continue our analysis, testing the dogmas: 8 .tLlf4 (the advantage of 7... f6 is clear in the variation 8 .exf6 'iVxf6!? (preparing ... e6-e5) 9.tLlf3 �d6 1 0.0-0 0-0+z; the presence of the pawns on c3 and c5 favours Black) 8 ...'iVe7

GAME 23 Vasily lvanchuk (2748) Viktor Moskalenko (2529) Barcelona 2005 (4)

1 .d4 e6! ? 2.e4 Played immediately. 2 ... d5 3.lbcl2 ttJf6!? Played genuinely! 4.e5 PUZZLE: 4.�d3 c5 5.dxc5 (5.e5 transposes) 5 ... dxe4 6.tLlxe4 tLlxe4 7.�xe4 'iVxdl+ 8.'it>xdl �xc5 9.�e2 tLld7= Vinogradov­ Moskalenko, Alushta 1 999.

..

4 ... ttJfd7 5.c3 cs 6 . ..td3 ttJc6 7.&De2 This is the most natural development. The other knight will go to f3 .

7... cxd4!? Black was always considered to be forced to exchange the central pawns before playing .. .f7-f6.

analysis diagram

9.tLlf3 !? (this is the only defence. If 9.'iVhs+ 'iVf7+z Black looks OK, for ex­ ample 10.�g6? hxg6 1 1 .'iVxh8 fxe5=i=) 9... cxd4! (an inferior option is 9 ... fxe5?! 1 0.dxe5! tLldxe5 1 1 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 2 .'Wh5+ tLlf7 1 3 . �xh7! 'iVg5 14.�xg5 tLlxg5 1 5.�c2 tLlf7 1 6 .tLlg6;;!;; with a solid advantage for White, Motwani-De Jager, Netherlands tt 1996) 1 0.cxd4 (or 1 0.exf6 'i¥xf6!+:t) 1 0 .. .fxe5 1 1 .dxe5 tLldxe5 1 2.tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 3 .°iVh5+ tLlf7 14.0-0 (now 14.�xh7? does not work in view of 14 ...'i¥b4+! 1 5 . �d2 'iVxb2+) 14 ... g6 1 S.'i¥e2 �g7! 16.�b5+ 'it>f8 1 7.�e3�. In return for his pawn, White has an edge thanks to his better development and the good positions of his pieces. However, things are not clear yet; B) I have tested 7 ... 'iVb6 in several games, trying to exchange the queens: 8.tLlf3 cxd4 9.cxd4 �b4+ 1 0.�d2 (in the AVRO tournament of 1 93 8 , Alekhine defeated Capablanca with 1 0.'it>fl ! ?, but 89

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tbd2 1 0 .. .f6 instead of Capablanca's 1 0 ...tbe? leads to a complicated position after 1 1 .tlJf4 tbdxe5!? 1 2.dxe5 fxe5oo) 1 0 ... �xd2+ 1 1 .�xd2 �b4.

analysis diagram

In the ensuing endgame Black is slightly passive, but he has no weaknesses, for instance: 1 2.a3 (12 . .l:f.cl 'tWxd2+ 1 3.@xd2 tlJb6 14.b3 �d7 1 5.tlJf4 0-0!? 1 6.h4 f6+:t Korneev-Moskalenko, Sants 1 999) 12 ...�xd2+ 1 3 .@xd2 tbb6 14.b3 �d7 1 5 . .l:f.acl f6+:t Narciso Dublan-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2004. 8.cxd4 f6!

Black attacks the centre in order to acti­ vate his minor pieces. 9.exf6 The immediate attack 9.tbf4 will be analysed later, in Games 25 and 26. TRICK: 9.f4?! does not work here: 9 .. .fxe5 ! 1 0.fxe5? (better 1 0 .dxe5 tbc5=F) 1 O ..tt:Jxd4! 1 1 .tlJxd4 'iVh4+ favours Black.

1('

.

90

9... tbxf6 1 O.ltJf3 ..td6 1 1 .0-0

The key position of the main line 3 .tbd2 tbf6. Black has several options. 1 1 ...0-0!? This natural move allows the strategic exchange of the dark-squared bishops. 1 1 ...�c? is more ambitious, controlling the b8-h2 diagonal. See Game 23. 1 2 . ..tf4 According to theory, White has a slight advantage in this line, but I think that Black has enough resources to equalize. The main line is: 1 2 ... ..txf4 ffl"- WEAPON: My favourite line in order to complicate is 1 2 ...tbh5!? (91 games in MegaBase) 1 3.�xd6 �xd6.

analysis diagram

With the idea of the thematic sacrifice 14 ... l:f.xf3 !?, for example: A) 14.�c2 h6!? 1 5 .tlJg3 tlJf4+:t 1 6.a3? tbxg2! 1 7.@xg2 l:f.xf3+ R.MilosCapNemo, playchess.com 2008;

Chapter 7 - Beyond Tarrasch: 3 . . . ttJf6 4.eS ttJfd7 B) 14.lLlg3 lLlf4� 1 5 . �c2 a6 l6.ne1 �d7 1 7.ncl g6!? 1 8.a3 nae8 1 9.°iYd2 lLlh3+! 20.@h1 nxf3! ? 2 1 .gxf3 nf8 22.'li'h6? eS! 23.tLlhS nf7 24.dxeS lLlxeS-+ Kobalia-Moskalenko, play­ chess.com 2005; C) 14.ncI nxf3 !? (14... a6 1 s.ne 1 nxf3!? 1 6.gxf3 �d7 1 7.lLlg3 lLlf4� Maratonac-CapNemo, playchess.com 2007) 1 5.gxf3 �d7 16.�bs nf8 1 7.nc3 nf6 1 8.lLlg3 ttJf4� 1 9.nel °iYf8 20.a3 nh6!-+ 2 1 . �xc6 �xc6 22.nes °iYf6 B.'i:Yb3 'i:YM 24.tLin ng6+ 2s.tLig3 �h3 0-1 Atlas-Lion-CapNemo, play­ chess.com 2006; D) 14.'li'd2 a6!? (in order to avoid the strategic idea �bS and �xlLlc6, controlling the eS-square. However, 14 ... nxf3! ? 1 5.gxf3 �d7 1 6 .'li'gs g6 1 7.nadl nf8� Basas Gamazo­ Moskalenko, Catalunya 2006, or 14 ... �d7!? 1 s.nadl nxf3 ! ? 1 6.gxf3 nf8 1 7.'li'e3 eS!? 1 8.dxeS lLlxeS 1 9.f4 lLlxd3 20.'iYxd3 lLlxf4 2 1 .tLlxf4 nxf4� Wolff-Moskalenko, Wijk aan Zee B 1992) 1 5.l::tacl (15.'iYe3 lLlf4! 1 6.lLlxf4 �xf4=) 1 5 ... nxf3! ? ( 1 5 ... �d7 1 6.'li'e3 tLlf4=) 1 6.gxf3 (White has many weak­ nesses in his pawn structure and his king is unsafe now) 1 6 ... �d7 1 7.°iVgS (1 7.°iVc2 lLlf4!? 18.�xh7+ Wh8 19.�d3 nf8�) 17 ... g6�. Black's plan is ... nf8 and ...lLlf4.

analysis diagram

1 8 .@hl !? nf8! 1 9.ngl ltJf4! (the game is complicated and interesting for both sides) 20.'iYg3 (20.�bl nf7 ! ? 2 1 .lLlxf4 'iYxf4 22.'iYxf4 nxf4 23.ng4!? .r!xf3� with a typical French ending, Gergoo­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2008) 20 ...'iYb8!? 2 1 . ngdl (more logical is 2 1 .l::tcdl oo) 2 1 ...nf6! (preparing 22 ...'iYf8) 22.b4 lLlxb4 23.nbl??T �a4!-+ Garrido Dominguez-Moskalenko, Roquetas de Mar 2006. Summary of the plan with 1 2 tLlhS : Black has good counterchances after the extremely interesting sacrifice ... nxttJf3. Otherwise, the positions are quite balanced. 1 3. ttJxf4 l004 Another key position. •..

1 4.l!Vc1 Here is an overview of the most impor­ tant alternatives: A) 14.ltJhS g6 (14...'li'b6! ?) 1 5.tLlg3 lLlxg3 1 6.hxg3 'iYb6 1 7.°iVa4 a6! with equality, Rios Parra-Moskalenko, Cata­ lunya tt 2002; B) 14.g3 gS! ? (14 ...�f6 1 5.h4 h6 16.tLleS lLlxd4�) 1 5 .tLlhS �d7 16.lLleS �e8!�; C) If 14.lLle2 the typical sacrifice 14 ... nxf3 is more popular, but also more complicated: (14 ... �d7! ? with quiet play, for example: 1 5.�xe4 dxe4 16.tLld2 °iYh4! 1 7.�b3 b6=) 1 5.gxf3 tLlgS. 91

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . �2

analysis diagram

In general terms, White must be slightly better, but there are plenty of compli­ cations: 16.c;tih l ! (16.f4 tLlh3+ l l.@hl �h4<=t) 1 6 ... eS! (16 ...tLlxf3? l l. �xhl+!) l l.dxeS (l l.�b3!? tLlaS) 1 1... tLlxeS 1 8.tLld4 �f6gg. 1 4 ... tiJgS! In the event of 14 ... �f6 1 5 .tLle2 eS 1 6.dxeS tLlxeS l l.tLlxeS �xeS 1 8 .�e3 !?± White maintains slight pressure. 1 5. lLixgS 1Wxg5

The standard (and theoretical) 11 ... �dl allows 1 8 . �bS!± and after the �xttJ ex­ change Black would be very passive. 1 8.ttfd1 Other significant games do not change the evaluation of the position: A) 1 8 .a3 �dl 1 9.f4 .l:rac8 20.g3 tLlal (20 ...tLlaS!?) 2 1 . l:txc8!? (21 .@f2 �bS=) 21 ...l1xc8 22 . .l:f.cl .l:Xxc!+ 23.tLlxc! �bS 24.@f2 �xd3 25.tLlxd3 b6!= Korneev­ Moskalenko, Salou 2000; B) 1 8 . .l:f.fel £.dl 1 9.f3 .l:f.ac8 20.�bl tLlal 2 1 . .l:f.cdl tLlbs 22.@f2 .l:Xcl 23.tLlc! .l:f.fc8= Tiviakov-Rahal, Sanxenxo tt 2004; C) 18 . .l:f.c3 �dl l 9.�b3 .l:f.ab8 20 . .l:rb6 h6 21 ..l:f.cl @fl 22 . .l:tc3 @el 23 . .l:f.cb3 tLlaS 24 . .ld.c3 tLlc6= Can-M. Gurevich, Istanbul ch-TUR 2006. 1e ... �d7 1 9.f3 .:ace 20.c;itf2 tLia7 21 .�c2 ttc6=

1 6. 0.e2 TRICK: The tactical attempt 16.�xhl+ @xhl l l.tLlxe6 'iVfs 1 8.tLlxf8+ 'ifxf8 1 9.'iVgs 'iffs 20.'i!Vxfs+ i.xfS gives equal chances, Barkhagen-Gleizerov, Stockholm 2002/03.

As in many other examples, the simpli­ fication along the c-file leads to a draw. 22 . ..to>e3 ttfc8 23 . ..to>d2 ttc4 24.�b1 :Xc1 25.:Xc1 :Xc1 26.c;itxc1 h6 27.'it>d2 ..to>f7 28.'it>e3 'it>f6 29.g3 tLice 30.tLif4 �ea 31 . �d3 tbd6 32.b3 After this game and our post-mortem, Ivanchuk more often chose 3 .tLlc3!?.

1 6 ... 1Wxc1 17 .l:axc1 a6!= After this important prophylactic move Black equalizes without trouble.

Black's game is very solid, leading to a probable draw. The problem is that he is

t(

92

Summary of 1 1

...

0-0:

Chapter 7 Beyond Tarrasch: 3 . . . tt:Jf6 4.eS tt:Jfd7 -

:oo passive to improve on this result. To :est the 'dogmas', it is very interesting : o analyse almost forgotten possibilities such as 7.. .f6!?, 12 ... hS, 1 7 ... a6! and many Jther lines after 1 1 ...0-0!?.

the following game, Black changes '.:is 1 1th move, activating his queen and ::-ying to complicate. In these lines the :b.ematic sacrifice ... .!:f.xtLlf3 can be an ::-nportant resource, both in the middle­ .same and after the exchange of queens. =n

GAME 24

Sergey Fedorchuk (241 5) Viktor Moskalenko (2469) Alushta 1 999 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 tl:if6! 4.e5 lllfd7 5 . .td3 c5 6.c3 tl:ic6 7.tfJe2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6! 9.exf6 tl:ixf6 1 O.tl:if3 .td6 1 1 .0-0 'ifc7!?

Ukrainian GM Sergey Fedorchuk is another protagonist of the 'Beyond Tarrasch' move J . Cilc:l2. He appears throughout Part Two as White in many games.

1 2 . .tgS With the popular manoeuvre �g5h4-g3, White continues the fight for the h2-b8 diagonal. The main alternatives are: A) I think that the manoeuvre start­ ing with 12.tLlc3 is too hasty, since the knight is more effective on e2 than on this square: 12 ... a6 1 3 . �gS 0-0 14.�M

•

-:-he ideas behind this move are analysed :n many books on the French Defence, md are easy to understand: Black con­ :rols the b8-h2 diagonal, reinforces his cS-point and temporarily avoids the -:: xchange of the dark-squared bishops. .-\lso, the black queen is more active :m the seventh rank and does not iisturb the development of the queen­ side. However, these factors are not :oo noticeable at this point, and White -:: ontrols the situation.

i. l 'iV 11 1 � i. 1 � 1 8 tlJ � 88

:

analysis diagram

14 ...tLlhS!? (alternatively, l 4... g6 1 5.l:tcl tt:Jhs 1 6.tLla4 �d7 1 7.tt:Jes llf4!? 18.�gs l:lxd4 1 9.tLlxd7 �xh2+ 20.@hl �f4 2 1 .tLlf6+D tt:Jxf6 22.�xf6 eS+: Kuijf­ Moskalenko, Wijk aan Zee B 1 992) 93

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . l2Jd2 1 5 . .l:i.el g6 1 6 . .l:i.cl Af4 1 7. .l:i.c2 'ifg7 1 8 .i..f l �d7 1 9.tlie2?! gd6

analysis diagram

20.a3 h6! 2 1 .tlig3 tlif4 22.tlie2 tlih5 (22 ...tlih3+!?) 23.gg3 tlixg3 24.tlixg3 .l:i.f4 (24... .!:1xf3!) 25 .tlie2 l:If7 26.'i¥d3 .l:i.af8 and Black is clearly ahead, as in Kruppa-Moskalenko, Kharkov 1 984; B) 1 2 .g3!? intending 1 3 .�f4, brings us back to simplification: 1 2 ... 0-0 1 3 .i..f4

analysis diagram

1 3 ...tlig4!? (the most creative idea for Black; 1 3 ... e5?! 14.dxe5 tlixe5 1 5 .tlixe5 �xe5 1 6 . .l:i.cl;;!;; 1 3 ... .id? 1 4. .l:i.cl tlie4!? intending 1 5 .tlie5 Axe5! 1 6 .i..xe5 'i¥b6+:t Gomez-Ganguly, Guangzhou 2010) 1 4. .l:i.cl Axf4 1 5.tlixf4 .l:i.xf4! 16.gxf4 'iWxf4 1 7.�e2 tlif6!?� (Black's position is quite satisfactory) 1 8 .'ti'd2 (18.�hl tlie4!�) 1 8 ...'i¥xd2 1 9.tlixd2 tlixd4= Heinemann-Kipper, Germany Bundesliga 2009/ 1 0. 1 2 ...0-0 1 3.l:tc1 94

1 3 ... tbhS!? An original and effective manoeuvre: the idea is .l:i.xtlif3. Other possible move orders are: /fl"- WEAPON: 1 3 ...tt:Jg4!? 1 4.h3 (14.tlig3 �b6!+:t Jobava-Larino Nieto, 2007) Torrelavega 14 .. Jhf3! 1 5.hxg4 .l:i.f?+:t. A) Another popular line is 13 ... �d? 14.tlig3 h6 1 5 .i..d 2 �b6!? 1 6 .i..c 3 Af4 1 7. .l:i.c2oo Korneev-Moskalenko, Moscow 1 995; B) 13 ... a6 is quite similar to the main game: 14.�h4 g6 (or 14 ... tlih5 1 5 .'ti'c2 h6= Alsina Leal-Moskalenko, Barce­ lona 2004) 1 5.�g3 tlih5 1 6 . .ixd6 °iVxd6 1 7.°iVd2 �d7 ( 1 7... .l:i.xf3!? Kolev­ Moskalenko, Castellar 1 999) 1 8.�e3 tlif4=. 1 4. .th4

1 4...gG!?

Chapter 7 - Beyond Tarrasch: 3 ... tllf6 4.eS tllfd7 In my opinion, this move is quite use­ ful: it defends the bl-h7 diagonal and prepares a queen's fianchetto with ... �g7, attacking the pawn on d4. It also enables the manoeuvre ...tllg7-f5. The immediate sacrifice is interesting: 14 .. Jhf3!? 1 5.gxf3 .ixh2+ 1 6 .Whl �d6gg. 1 5. 'iVd2N a6!? Preventing 16.�bS . .\gain, l 5 ... .ld.xf3 deserves closer analysis: 16.gxf3 .ixh2+ 1 7.Wg2 .if4 1 8 .tllx f4 �xf4+ 1 9.Whloo. 1 6.'iVe3 .id7 1 7. .ig5 :ae8 1 8 . .ih6 l:.f6 1 9.'iti>h1 'iVbB

.i

•

3lack's queen acts as a submarine, pre­ \"enting 20.tlle S. 20 . .ic2!? tllg 7!? The typical advance 20 ... eS leads to equality. 21 . 'iVd2 l:.ef8 22.0.eg1 .if4!? :Jnexpectedly, Black offers to simplify, :n order to profit from the passivity of :he remaining white pieces. ..\nother possibility was 22 ...bS!? with :he idea of ...�b6 (pressing on d4), ... �b8 and ...�c7+. 23.hf4 1Vxf4!? 24. 1Vxf4 .:.Xf4 ..\fter the exchange of queens, the pawn on d4 is weaker than the one on e6. 25.0.e2 l:.4f7 26.l:.fe1 0.eB! In order to activate the knight: ... tlle 8d6. 27.'iti>g1 ltJd6=F

28.l:.ed1 At this point my opponent was already rather short of time. So I decided to improve my position first, and then ap­ ply the main idea of ... .ld.xf3 . 28... 'iti>g7 29.h4 bS 30 . .ic2 h6 31 . .:.11 gs 32.tl:lg3? Now this knight is not defending d4. 32 ... .:.Xf3!

The most desired moment for a French Defence player! 33.gxf3 tllc4 33 ...tllxd4!+ was better, when the white pawns begin falling like ripe fruit . 34.0.e2 tllxb2 35.'iti>g2 tllc4 35 ... �e8!?. 36.l:.cd1 36.h4!?. 36 ... ..ieB! 37.tllg 3 hS! The black pawn avalanche decides. 38.l:.fe1 h4 39.0.e2 .ihS 40.tllg 1 l:.f6 41 . .ib1 �7 42. .ic2 l:.f4 43 . .id3 tllxd4 44 . .ixc4 bxc4-+ 95

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlld 2 White's position is hopeless. 45.l:le3 g4! 46.fxg4 l:lxg4+ 47.@h3 l:lf4 48 ..:tf1 tllf3! ? 49.tllxf3 .b:f3 50.l:la3 d4 51 .l:lxaG d3 52 . .l:a7+ @16 53.l:td7 �dS 54.a4 c3 55.l:lc7 l:lc4 0-1

Summary of 1 1 . . '!1Vc7: This move is more aggressive than 1 1 . 0-0, and it can be used to change Black's way of playing the opening. White should try to simplify with g2-g3 and �f4, but this does not guarantee him any advantage. .

.

96

.

Chapter 8

-

Saito Mortale: 9. t2Jf4

This acrobatic knight manoeuvre creates the threat of 10.'li'hS+. This may be the :nost aggressive idea for White. Black can choose from three creative defences. 9 . . �e7 and 9 . .fxeS are relatively :-are options. However, the counter-jump 9 . . tLlxd4! offers more resources, and :herefore it is analysed more thoroughly in Games 2 5 and 2 6 . .

.

.

97

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 Salto Mortale - Games GAME 25 Ni Hua (2621 ) Wang Hao (2622) Singapore 2006 (5)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tlld2 tllf6 4.es tllfd7 5.�d3 cs 6.c3 lllc6 7. llle2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9. lllf4

With this knight jump, with contempt for death, White wants to launch a direct attack with the threat of 1 O.°iVh5+. In these original lines the black king moves back and forth. 9 ... tllx d4!

Chinese Grandmaster Wang Hao fought like a samurai against his opponent's 'salto inortale ' .

98

The main response. Black is not afraid of entering the complications. PUZZLE: 9 ... 'iVe7 is an old line, which basically leads to Game 2 3 , see the analysis of 7.. .f6 there. t'fl*- WEAPON: 9 .. .fxe5!? is a fresh idea: 1 0.lt:Jxe6 (White has nothing after 1 0.°iYhs+ We7 1 I .lt:Jg6+? hxg6 1 2 .°iYxh8 e4+ Schuster-Wehner, playchess.com 2004) 1 0 ...'iVb6

..

analysis diagram

1 1 .°iVhs+ (1 1 .0-0!? lt:Jf6 1 2.dxe5 tt:Jxe5 1 3.lt:Jxf8 lt:Jxd3 14.�e2+ Wf7 1 5 .'ifxd3 l:1xf8± and a draw was agreed on move 57 in Battaglini-Ulibin, Winterthur 20 1 0) 1 l ...We7! 1 2.lt:Jxf8 (if 1 2.lt:Jg5 lt:Jf6! 1 3 .'iff7+ Wd8 and the black king is in great shape) 1 2 ...'it>xf8 1 3.dxe5 tt:Jdxe5! 14.�e2? (14.0-0 �g4 1 5 .'ifg5 h6!? 1 6.'iff4+ 'it>g8�) 14 ... �g4! 1 5 . �xg4 lt:Jd3+ 1 6 .Wdl D lt:Jxf2+- Vysochin­ Owczarzak, Warsaw rapid 2007. 1 0. 'it'hS+ @e7

Chapter 8 Saito Mortale: 9. tl'if4 -

1 1 .exf6+! PUZZLE: l l .tl'ig6+?! hxg6 1 2.exf6+ is a favourable trans­ position for Black: l 2 ...Wxf6! 1 3 .'iix h8 Wf7 and the white queen must lose more time to get back into play. 1 1 ... lbxf6 1 2. tt:Jg6+ hxg6 1 3. 'ii'x h8 @17! �ow that the position has stabilized, the play becomes calmer. The immediate 13 ... e5?! would appear to be weak: 14.�xg6 (14.tl'if3 transposes into the main line) 14 ...'iYa5 1 5.0-0! 8e2+ 1 6.Whl tl'ixcl 1 7.tl'if3 ! ± with the initiative for White. 1 4. 'ii' h 4 A) The following was a model game for Black: 14.0-0 e5 1 5 .tl'ib3 tl'ixb3 16.axb3 �f5 (the line 1 6 ... �e6!? 1 7.�g5 e4 18.�e2 'iVb6 brings good results for Black) 1 7.�xf5 gxf5 1 8 . �g5 .2.c5! with play typical of the 9.tl'if4 variation:

•

analysis diagram

TRICK: 1 5.0-0?? tl'ie2+ 1 6 .Whl �h4 0-1 Murillo-Minero Pineda, Costa Rica 1 997. A) 1 5 .g3? e5!t 16.fxe5 tl'if3+ 1 7.Wdl tl'ixe5 1 8 . �e2 tl'if6 1 9. .!d.fl �f5 20.tl'ib3 d4-+ Majdan-Arutyunova, Heraklio jr 2002; B) 1 5 .'iVh7 �h4+ 16.g3 'iVg4t 1 7.0-0 .2.d7! and White is lost because of the threat of 1 8 ...tl'ixg3! , Barbitsky1.Smirnov, St Petersburg 2000. 14 ...eS+t 1 5. tllf3 lbxf3+ An automatic move. Analysis of the re­ source 1 5 ...e4!? can be found in Game 26. 1 6.gxf3 .�..fS 17 . ..bfS gxf5 18 . ..tgS! The only chance to attack the black for­ tress.

:I ii

analysis diagram l 9.�h3!? (1 9.'iVxd8 l:!xd8=F) l 9...�d7 :'.O.b4 (20 . .2.xf6 'it>xf6!) 20 ... �b6 :'. l . �xf6!? Wxf6 22 . .l:i.a3 g6 23.'iYM+ �e6! 24.g4 f4 (24 ... �e7!?) 25 . .l:!el �g7 :'.6.�h3 e4! 27.gs+ Wd6 28.�g4 .l:i.fs+ and the endgame l:!-2.� vs l:!l:! is bet­ ter for Black. Kengis-Moskalenko, Lviv 1 984; B) 14.f4?! is met by the strong 14...tl'ih5! and now:

•i . � i i i� Yi' • • £::, £::, £::, £::, £::, }d }d � �

This well-known position is quite bal­ anced. 1 8 ... 'ii'aS+!? An evergreen check. The alternative is 1 8 ... .2.c5 1 9.0-0-0!? d4 (19 ... 'iVb6!?oo) 20.'t!\Yh3 (20.'it>bl 'iVh8!) 20 ...�d7 99

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt::id 2 2 1 . �xf6 gxf6! (2 1 ...Wxf6? 22.nhgl t and White's heavy pieces guarantee him the initiative, Yandemirov-Moskalenko, Kemerovo 1 98S) 22.f4 e4 23.�b3+ We? 24. .l:i.hgl Wd6!oo (analysis). 1 9.@11 g6 Taking advantage of tactical motifs (20.�xf6 �a6+), Black prepares ...tLlhS or ... �g7 and ... nh8. This is probably not the only possible plan: 1 9... d4!? 20.wg2 (20 . .l:tcl �d6!?) 20 ... �d6 (20 ...�dS!?) 2 1 . .l:thel �dS 22J1acl .l:i.g8= Martin Rueda-Gonzalez Menendez, Mondariz 2004. 20.�xf6 More testing was 20.�h8!? �a6+ 2 1 .Wg2 l:{d8! (21 ...ne8?! 22.�acl �e7 23.�h6 �d6 24. .l:i.c2!t) 22.Ilacl �e7 23.�h6 (23 .�M �d6 24.nc2 lLlhs= Stukopin-Mokshanov, Loo ch-RUS jr 2014) 23 ...�d6 24.nc2 d4 2s.nhcI d3!+z (analysis). 20 ... 'ifa6+ 21 .g2 'ifxf6 22. 'ifa4!? White must keep the queens on the board. 22.�xf6+ is worse: 22 ...Wxf6 23.l:Iacl �d6gg.

22 ... 'ifc6! 23. 'ifb3 �h6! Holding off the white rooks. 23 ... �cS complicates matters: 24. .l:i.adl .l:i.d8 2S .h4!oo. 24.:ad1 .:I.dB 25.J:d3!? g7 32.'ifc7+ h6 33. 'ii'b B 'itg7 34. 'ifxa7 d3 35. 'ifbB d2 Now Black's position is solid. 36.'ifc7+ h6 37.b3 bS 38.'ii'c3 gs 39.h3 g4 40.hxg4 fxg4

41 .a4?? The only serious mistake in this game happens to be decisive. TRICK: 41 .b4! was necessary to keep the balance: 41...WgS and now, if 42.�b3?? (42.�a3D=) 42 ...�xb3 43.axb3 WfS!-+ is winning for Black because of zug­ zwang!

W

analysis diagram

A desirable endgame for Black. 24.l:rhdl \tle6 2S . .l:i.c3 l:i.d8 26.ndcI d4 2 7. l:i.cs .l:i.d7 ! 28.l:Ig8 �f6 29.Wfl d3 30.l:{dl �cs 3 1 . ncs b6 32.a3 e4 33.b4 �e7 34. .l:tc4 @es 3S .fxe4 fxe4 36.l:f.e l l:Id4 37. .l:i.xd4??T (37.l:i.c?=) 37... @xd4-+ Salgado-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2000. 1 00

41 ... b4!-+ The white queen loses control over f3. 42.'ifc2 gxf3+ 43.'ith3 e4 0-1 After enjoying this great duel between two Chinese players, we will check another key idea for Black in the Salta Mortale variation with 9.tLlf4: a surpris­ ing defence arising on move l S .

Chapter 8 Saito Mortale: 9. tb.f4 -

GAME 26 Thomas Luther (2520) Carlos Matamoros Franco (2480) Cienfuegos 1 997 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.0.d2 tl:)f6 4.es tl:)fd7 s.�d3 cs 6.c3 tl)c6 7.�2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.tl:)f4 tl)xd4 1 0. 'ii' hS+
".\"bite i s not very inspired. l l .exf6+! ;,hould be played first. See Game 25. 11 ... hxg6 1 2.exf6+ tl)xf6 �ecurning to the common paths. .;dvancing with the king is the best -.,·ay to take advantage of White's error: : :?. 'it>xf6!? 1 3."tWxh8 'it>f7�. or else :apturing with the pawn: l 2 ... gxf6!? : 3 .fUxh8 tt:Je5gg_ 1 3.'ii'x hB @17 1 4. 'ifh4!? es 1 S.tl:)f3 e4! ? ...

:::enainly a creative idea. Its resources are ::.ased on the many intermediate checks :..::i the position. Still, this move has not ::-een played too often in practice.

1 6.tl)xd4 �b4+! A check in the style of the Fabulous Bu­ dapest Gambit! 1 7. rJ;;f1 With interesting complications. The white king will be a target. Psakhis's recommendation for White is 1 7. �d2!? �xd2+ 1 8.@xd2 'iYas+ (an­ other intermediate check) 1 9.@dl exd3 ...

analysis diagram

... and now the best move is 20.tLlb3!? (if 20.'iVf4? 'iVb4+; or else 20.f3? �d7 2 1 .'iYf2 �c8t 22 . .l:i.el? .l::!.c4! 23."tWe3 'iVb4 0 - 1 , And.Horvath-Bakk, Budapest 1 997) 20 ...'iVc7! 21 ..l:i.cl "tWe5 22 . .l::i.e l �g4+! (one more check) 23.f3 "tWxb2! (this tactic is the best idea. 23 ... tl:ie4?, Ferguson-C.Morris, England tt 2000/0 1 , i s refuted by 24. .!::!.xe4! �xe4 25.!tc7+ c;t>g8 26."tWe7 "tWxe7 27. .l::!.x e7± and the French bishop is poor) 24. .l:i.c7+ @g8! .

analysis diagram

This leads to balanced positions, or even a draw by force: 25.'iVg5 (if 25 . .l:i.ee7 101

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlld 2 tl:le8 26.'i¥xg4 tl:lxc7=; or 25.fxg4 'iVxa2 26.�xg7+ xg7 27 . .l:i.e7+ g8 28.'iVxf6=) 25 ... l:le8 26.l:lxe8+ tl:lxe8 27.'iWxds+ h7 28.l:le7 'iVxg2 29.tl:ld2 tl:lf6 30.'i¥xd3 .tfS= (analysis). 1 7 ...exd3� We are on a very narrow path, where good analysis is still lacking.

• .t "i¥ .t i • • .t .i! t2J .t 88 :=: �

. ... �i

1 9. �xf6 (1 9.tl:lb3 tl:le4t) 1 9...iVxf6 20.'i¥xf6+ gxf6 2 1 . �dl (21 .h4 b6 2.2.hS .ta6!?gg Simacek-Danin, Czech tt 2013/14) 2 1 ...b6! 22.a3 �cs, intending 23.tl:lbS?! (23.tl:lb3 �a6gg) 23 ... �d7!+ with an excellent position for Black. 1 9.g3 TRICK: After 19 . .ildl ! ? the best de­ fence is 19 ... 'i¥b6! 20.�xf6 .l::!.e 8!, leading to equality (analysis) .

V

1 9 ... i;ftg8 20. i;ftg2 'ilb6 21 . i.xf6 gxf6 22 . .l:[hd1

'iV 888 � :=:

1 8.i.gS A) 1 8.'i¥f4 'i¥b6 1 9.tl:lb3 �d7 20.�e3 1/2- 1/2 Arzumanian-Cech, Brno 2004; B) 1 8.tl:lf3 'iWe7 1 9.�e3 �fS 20 . .l::i.c l a.e8gg And.Horvath-Dobcsanyi, Buda­ pest 1997. 1 8 ... i.d7 After this move the position is balanced. In the stem game with 15 ... e4 the contin­ uation was 1 8 ...'iVb6!?. This manoeuvre offers better chances of active counter­ play. After publishing The Flexible French in 2008, already 9 new games have been played with this recommended move:

• .t .t "i¥ .t 88 :=:

•

.t i t2J .t

.t i

'iV 8 8�8

:=:

22 ... gS Forcing the draw. (23.tl:lb3oo) 22 ... l:le8 ! ? 23.l:i:xd3?! 23 ...g7!t. 23. 'ilh6 'ifxd4 This leads to perpetual check. 24. 'ifg6+ ';ftf8 25.:Xd3 'ifes 26. 'ilh6+ i;ftg8 27. 'ilg6+ i;ftf8 28. 'ilh6+ i;ftg8 29. 'ifg6+ 112-112

Summary of the 'Saito Mortale' - 9.tl:lf4 It is obvious that White does not have enough resources to unleash a serious attack. After a forced sequence of moves, the resulting positions are balanced, but the ma­ terial is not. The advantage will be on the side of the player who has analysed these positions better and understands them more deeply. Key moments: Black can choose from three defences: 9 . . . 'iWe7 , 9 . . . fxeS or 9 . . . tl:lxd4. In the main line, after 9 . . . tl:lxd4! 1 0. 'iVhs+ We7 , the move l I . tl:lg6+?! seems to be a mistake ( 1 1 .exf6 + ! is better) , and 1 5 . . . e4! ? is useful for its surprise value, but it probably leads to a forced draw, while 1 5 . . . tl:lxf3 is more flexible and offers many possibilities to both sides. 1 02

Chapter 9

-

Fianchetto versus Symmetry: 7. ltJgf3 g6 .i ..t 'iV • ..t i i ,. i ,. i i ii8 8 8 Ji. ei 8 8 ei 8 8 g Ji. � �

.i i

8 g

What are White's intentions after 7.tl:igf3!?. If Black plays the 'logical' 7... 11!fb6?!, his :
1 03

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . ttJd2 Fianchetto versus Symmetry - Games GAME 27 Swayangsu Satyapragyan (2431 ) Viktor Moskalenko (2543) Andorra 2006 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.lbd2 ttJfG 4.es ttJfd7 5 . .i.d3 cs 6.c3 ltJcG 7.ltJgf3!?

White aims to block the centre with the following plan: 0-0, .l:i.el , dxcS and tbb3 , a set-up that would guarantee a slight but solid positional advantage. 7 ... g6!? In my opinion, this is the most effective answer. Black prepares the fianchetto ... �g7, ... 0-0 and .. .f7-f6! with counter­ play along the f-file and the long g7-al di­ agonal. There are three main alternatives: A) As usual, taking the central pawn straight away is dangerous: 7... 'i!fb6 8.0-0 cxd4 9.cxd4 tbxd4 I O.tbxd4 �xd4 I J .tbf3 'i!fb6 1 2.'t!fa4

analysis diagram

1 04

with a lasting initiative for White. For instance: 1 2 ... �e7!? (12 ... 't!Vb4 is more passive: 1 3.'t!fc2 'i!fcS?! 14.'i!fe2 �e7?! 1 5.�e3 'i!VaS 16 . .l:i.fc J t and Black does not have any counterplay, Nedev­ Moskalenko, Barbera 2000) 1 3.'t!Vg4!? g6 14.�h6 tbcs I S.�c2 't!Vxb2!? 1 6 . .l:i.fcl �d7 and the position is extremely sharp and complicated, Vajda-Spiess, Balaton­ lelle 2007 B) With 7.. .f6 Black continues in the spirit of the French Defence:

analysis diagram

8 .exf6

W

TRICK: The attacking move 8 .tbgS? does not work: 8 .. .fxgS 9.'i!fhs+ g6 10.�xg6+ hxg6 1 l .'t!Vxg6+ c;£ie7-+ Black is ready to play 1 2 ...tbdxeS!

8 ...tbxf6 TRICK: capturing with the queen is worse: 8 ...'i!fxf6?! 9.0-0 �d6 1 0.�e l ! t 0-0? 1 1 .�xh7+! c;£ixh7 1 2 . !:!'.xe6! �xh2+ 1 3.c;£ixh2 'i!ff4+ 14.@gl± Kasparov-Rodgaard, Torshavn simul 2001 .

•

9.0-0 cxd4 1 0.cxd4 �d6 l l .b3!? (the knight on d2 is slightly passive; however, with his last move White is planning �b2 and tbeS!, which would be diffi­ cult to neutralize) I 1 ...0-0 12.�b2 'i¥b6 (12 ... �d7 1 3 .tLleS;;!;;) 1 3 .tLleS! (or first

Chapter 9 Fianchetto versus Symmetry: 7. lbgf3 g6 -

13.1:1'.c l !? �d7 and now 14.lbeS! �e8 1 S.lbdf3 �hS 16.lbxc6 bxc6 1 7.�e l ! :a.es 1 8 .lbes± Kuijf-Kishnev, Germany Bundesliga B 1993/94)

analysis diagram

Black has 7 ... b6!? and 8 ... �a6, see Game 37. 8.0-0 aS (this advance is quite useful. Or 8 ... �b6 9.dxcS 'tWc7!? 10.lbb3 lbdxeS 1 1 .�f4!? lbxf3+ 1 2.�xf3 es 1 3 . �g3t; the active 8 ... gS can be met by 9.dxcS lbdxeS 1 0 .lbxeS lbxeS 1 1 .�bs+ �d7 1 2 . �xd7+ lbxd7 1 3.b4oo Rublevsky­ Morozevich, Togliatti tt 2003) 9.a4!? (White's best idea. 9 . .!d.el allows a direct counterattack: 9...cxd4 1 0.cxd4 gS!<=t, a common resource in this position) 9...�b6 (9... gS is more logical one move earlier)

13 ... �d7 TRICK: 1 3 ...l2Jxd4? 14.l2Jdc4! dxc4 1 S.lbxc4 �xh2+ 1 6 .<;i>xh2 �c7+ 1 7.<;i>gl ±.

1(

14.lbdf3 �ae8 l S.1:1'.cl 1:1'.e7 16.1:1'.el �e8 1 7.h3 and White's pieces are bet­ ter placed: 1 7... �hS 1 8 .g4 �e8 19.�b l ;;!; etc., Kryvoruchko-Kraai, Beijing (rapid) 2008; C) The quiet move 7... �e7 remains another popular choice. It prepares tac­ tical operations over the entire board: ... cxd4 and ...gs.

analysis diagram

• PUZZLE: In Chapter 1 2 (3...�e7), the black knight is still on b8. So,

analysis diagram

1 O.dxcS lbxcS (1 O ...'i!Yc7 l 1 .lbb3 lbdxeS 1 2.lbxeS �xeS 1 3 .f4 'tWc7 14.�e3;;!; Adams-Vallejo Pons, Gibraltar 2010) 1 1 .�c2!? �c7 1 2.1:1'.e l lbd7 1 3 .�e2 (13.lbb3!?N) 1 3 ... b6 14.lbb3 �a6 1 S .�e3;;!; with the desired position for White (blocked centre), Fedorchuk­ Giaccio, Lorca 2007. 8.0-0 White does not harass his opponent and continues in a natural way. The most aggressive reaction is 8.h4!?, a typical attacking plan against the fian­ chetto. See the next game. 8... .tg7 s.:e1 9.b3 0-0 10.�b2 f6! would be an ideal set-up for Black: l OS

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . �2

analysis diagram

1 1 .exf6 'i¥xf6 12 . .l::i.e l (12.c4? cxd4+ Vogt-Bareev, Budapest 1 988) 1 2 ... e5 (12 ...'i¥f4!?) 1 3 .c4 exd4 14.cxd5 tl:ice5t Vajda-1.Rajlich, Budapest 2005. 9 . .0-0 .

! .t .t. .t. " .t. 1. .t. " .t. .t. .t. 8 8 8 !! CjJ 8 8 CjJ 8 8 8 � !k'iV � � From this point on, Black threatens .. .f7f6. 1 O.tllf1 In the event of 10.�e2, a possible answer is 10 ... f6!?� 1 1 .exf6 'i1Vxf6 1 2 . .G.b5!? (12.'i¥xe6+? �xe6 1 3 . .l::i.xe6 cxd4 14.cxd4 tl:ixd4+ Fluvia Poyatos­ Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2005) 1 2 ... e5 13 . .G.xc6 'i1Vxc6 14.tl:ixe5 tl:ixe5 1 5 .dxe5 b6� with activity for the pawn. 1 0 ...cxd4! Preparing a counterattack with the f-pawn. ,,._ WEAPON: Another possibility is 10 ...'i1Vb6!? and if 1 1 .dxcS 'i1Vc7!�. winning the e5-pawn. 1 1 .cxd4 1 06

1 1 ...fS The battle in the centre begins ,,._ WEAPON: A strong alternative is the favourite move of two specialists, grandmasters Mikhail Gurevich and Mikhail Ulibin, who develop their queen first: 1 L..'i1Vb6!? (later I also started using this move order) 1 2 . .G.c2 (12 . .G.e3 f6�) 1 2 .. .f6!� 1 3 .exf6 tl:ixf6

analysis diagram

14 . .G.a4!?. Other moves have even less point: 14.h3?! tl:ie8!? 1 5 . .G.e3 tl:id6+; 14. .l::i.b l?! .G.d7 1 5 .h3 tl:ib4 1 6 . .G.b3 .G.b5 l 7.tl:ie5? tl:ie4!-+ and Black won easily, Benjamin-M.Gurevich, Cap d'Agde 2000; 14 . .G.b3?! �d7 (14...tl:ig4 1 5 . .G.e3 tl:ixe3 16.fxe3 .G.d7 1 7.tl:ig3 tl:ia5 1 8 .tl:ie2 tl:ic4 1 9. .G.xc4 dxc4+ Almeida Toledano-Moskalenko, Badalo­ na 2008) and now 1 5 .tl:ig3? (1 5.h3

Chapter 9 Fianchetto versus Symmetry: 7. �f3 g6 -

-1Je4t Nisipeanu-M.Gurevich, St Vincent 2004) 1 5 ...tllg 4! 1 6 .h3 �xd4 1 7.tllxd4 -1Jxf2 0-1 Almeida Toledano-Fernandez Aguado, Canovelles 2008. After 14.�a4!? the reply 1 4...tlle 4 prepares a surprising stroke: 1 5 . .2.xc6 bxc6 1 6 .tllg3

E l

.t tf. l

l l 8�

t2J t2J 88 888 1:. � Vi' 1:. � analysis diagram

16 ...tllxf2!? (a thematic sacrifice (quieter alternatives are 16 ... eS!?; or else 16 ... cS!?�) 1 7.Wxf2 .2.xd4+ 1 8 . �e3 °tWxb2+!? ( 1 8 ... .2.xe3+ leads to a draw: 19. .!d.xe3 eS 20.�b3!= Mahjoob-Ulibin, Teheran 2004) 1 9...t>gl �xal with a complicated ending, Coimbra-Ivkina, Plovdiv Ech-W 2008. 1 2.exf6 1i'xf6�

In my analysis I believed Black's position co be satisfactory. He needs to open up rhe position, preparing ... e6-e5, in order to take advantage of the fact that White is slightly passive at the moment. However, 1 2 ...tllx f6!? is also playable. 1 3. ..ie3

From a tactical point of view, 1 3 . �gS!? �f7 14.�e3 was interesting, and if now 14 ... eS, 1 5 .tllg S! with certain complica­ tions after 1 5 ...�e7?! (15 ...�f6 is worse in view of 1 6 .tllx h7! Wxh7 1 7.�hs+ Wg8 18 . .2.xg6±) 16.'ti'b3 tllb 6 1 7.dxeS �xeS 18 . .2.xb6 'ti'xgS 1 9.�e3 'ii'e 7!oo and the position is double-edged. 1 3 ...eS!

E .t Ee ll � .t l � '!¥ 1 ll 8 � � tb 888 'if 1:. t2J � Putting up a real fight. 1 4.'ii' b 3!? Playing on the Internet is always easier: 14.dxeS tlld xeS 1 5 .tllx eS tllxeSt 16.�c2 tllg 4!? 1 7.�b3 tllx e3 18.fxe3 'tWxb2 1 9.'ti'xds+ Wh8+ Sergei Azarov­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2007. 1 4... 'ii'd 6!? 14...exd4 transposes into the game: 16 . .2.c4 'ltxdS 1 5 .'ti'xds+ 'ii'f7 1 7.�xdS+ Wh8. 1 5. ..ie4 Or 1 5 .dxeS tlld xeS 16.tllx eS tllxeS 1 7. .2.e2 �e6�. 1 5 ...exd4 The game now goes into an extremely complicated whereas endgame, 1 5 ...tllf6!? would have kept the queens on the board: 1 6.dxeS tllxeS 1 7.tllx eS tllxe4 1 8.h4 with good chances for the black army: the bishop pair and the absence of the white pawn on d4 are good signs. 1 6. 'ii'xd5+ 'ii'xd5 1 7. bd5+ �he 1 8 . ..id2 18.�gS tllb 4!?�. 1 8 ... ttJdeS 1 07

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tLxl2 Summary of this game:

1 9. lLigS? A step on the path towards defeat. After 1 9.tt::lxeS tt::lxeS 20.�b4 l:!'.d8 2 1 . �e4 �fst Black has a slight initia­ tive. Or 1 9.tt::lg3 tt::ld 3+:t. 1 9 ... h6 20.0.e4 lLid3 2 1 . :te2 l:td8=F And Black kept the initiative right to the end of the game. 2 1 ...tt::lceS !?. 22.i.b3 22.tt::ld6 h7!=F. 22 ... b6! 23.lLidG lLiceS 23 ... @h?!? 24.tt::lf7 ld.d7+. 24.f4 :Xd6 2S.fxeS l:td7 26.e6 :e7 27.lLig3?! 27.�ds l:!'.b8=F.

27 ... i.aG 27...tt::lc S! . 28.l:tb1 ? lLicS 29.l:tf2 lLlxb3 30.axb3 :Xe6 3 1 . l:ta1 i.bS 32.l:tf7 a6 33.l:tc1 i.c6 34.h4 hS 3S.i.gs :ta 35 ... d3!. 36.l:ta7 as 37.0.e2?? :Xe2 38.:XcG l:te1 + 0-1 1 08

When studying the line 7.tt::lgf3 it is in­ teresting to begin with the immediate French break 7.. .f6, which offers a lot of chances for both sides. Later, in the event of the solid 7... g6!?, the continua­ tion 8.0-0 is quite weak for White, since Black gains counterplay without trouble, by preparing the set-up ... �g7, ... 0-0 and ... f7-f6. From move 1 0 onwards, ...'l:1Vb6!? is an interesting preliminary move be­ fore the push of the f-pawn. The final summary of 7.tt::lgf3 will be given after we have analysed the advance 8.h4!? in the next game.

GAME 28 Charles Monroy (2394) Viktor Moskalenko (2543) L:Estartit 2006 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.lLid2 lLif6 4.es lLitd7 S. i.d3 cs 6.c3 lLic6 7.lLigf3 g6 8.h4!

This advance is more logical against the fianchetto. 8... h6!? With the idea of repeating the plan ex­ amined in the previous game: ... �g7, ... 0-0, .. .f7-f6. 8 ...'l:1Vb6 is more fashionable, but in many games White has successfully ex­ ecuted the main idea behind 7.tt::lg f3. With a blocked centre, Black is passive and his king is unsafe.

Chapter 9 Fianchetto versus Symmetry: 7. tq,£3 g6 -

in the centre until the end of the game.' 16.i.bl 'iVa6 1 7.i.d3 'i!Va2 1 8 . �bl 'iVa6 19.i.d3 �al 1/2- 1/2 Dembo-M.Socko, Novi Sad Ech-tt W 2009. ,,.,,,.. WEAPON: The most suitable re­ sponse may be 8 ... £.e7!? and if White continues aggressively with 9.hS (9.0-0 'i!Vb6!? 1 0.dxcS 'iYc7�) 9 ... gS! is better for Black. analysis diagram

9.hS! (9.dxcS 'i!Vc7!?) and now: 9... gS (this the main resource of Black's defence. 9 ... �g7?! is weak: 1 0 .'1t>fl ! cxd4 1 l .cxd4 �d4 1 2 .tt::lxd4 °iYxd4 1 3 .tt::lf3 'i!Vb6 :-t-.'ifa4t with a dangerous initiative . a single pawn, Jirovsky-De Andres :'or Gonalons, Hamburg 1 999) 10.tt::lxgS ::xd4 1 1 .cxd4 �xd4! (very complicated, '.mt objectively necessary. If 1 1 ...tLlxd4 : 2 .tt::ldf3 ! tt::lc6 1 3 .tt::lxh7 �e7 14.'iVel O'b4+ 1 S.'1t>fl 'ifg4 1 6.h6 tLldxeS '. 7.£.gS! �xgS 1 8 .tt::lh xgS±; all this was ?layed in Zojer-Arslanov, Groningen 201 3) 1 2 .tt::ldf3 �b4+ 1 3 . i.dl 'i!Vxb2 :-t-.l:ibl 'iVa3 1 S.I;lb3 and now the critical ::esponse is 1 5 ...'i!Vxal! , recommended in :-he Flexible French (2008): :s

analysis diagram

For instance: 1 0.dxcS?! tt::ldxeS 1 1 .tLlxeS tt::lx eS 1 2 .tt::lb 3 'iVc7 1 3 .h6 i.d7 14.�e3 0-0-0 1 S .tt::ld4 fS!+: Jones-Sengupta, Gibraltar 2007. 9.lLib1 !? Absurd, but not necessarily bad! The knight goes back to its home square to free the path for the queen's bishop. Let us check some important alternatives: A) The most popular continuation is quite absurd as well: 9.0-0?!.

analysis diagram

"This position is hard to assess without :leep analysis. With two extra pawns, 3lack is threatening ...tt::lc s or ...tt::ld xeS, :mt it is clear that his king will remain

analysis diagram

1 09

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tD:f2 In my opinion, this move is not very logical after h2-h4. 9 ...gS!? is the move I advise! Generally speaking, this is Black's best resource in this line. (9... kg7!? 1 0.llel 0-0 (10 ... gS!? is al­ ways interesting here) l 1 . kc2 (if 1 1 .tllfl cxd4! l 2.cxd4 f6!+:t Black has reached his desired position) l l . ..cxd4! 1 2.cxd4 f6 1 3.exf6 'tWxf6 14.'tWe2 es 1 S . kb3 tllxd4 1 6 .tllxd4 exd4 1 7.kxds+ @h8+:t Antoli Royo-Moskalenko, Montcada 2008) 10.c4!?. A sharp attack, invented by a still young star, Fabiano Caruana. A genuine duel arises after 10 ...g4!? (a bit safer is 1 0 ...tllb4 1 1 .kbl and now l l ...g4! the position is double edged) 1 1 .cxdS! gxf3 (or 1 1 ...exdS!? - staying cool is impor­ tant here) 1 2.dxc6 fxg2 1 3.cxd7+ kxd7 14.Wxg2 'iYxh4 l S.llgl .llg 8+ 1 6.Wfl .ld.xgl+ 1 7.Wxgl kc6 1 8 .dSD kxdS 19.ke4 0-0-0! 20.'iVf3 kg7 2 1 . kxdS llxdS 22.'iYxf7 'iYg4+ 23.@fl 'iYdl+ 24.@g2 'tWg4+ with a guaranteed draw for Black, Gopal-Ganguly, Dhaka zt 2007; B) Several strong players, even grand­ master Adams, used to play 9.kc2 b6!?.

..t :ii • ..t i: � ' '� ' ' ' ii8 8 8 8 t2J 8 8 Ji, t;j 8 8 : � Vi' � :

C) Another common move is 9.a3, playing similarly (b2-b4) to the Advance Variation (3 .eS).

i:

' '

..t

I.ti

• ..t '

i:

� .\ ' ' ii8 8 8 8 8 Ji, t2J 8 t2J 8 8 : : Ji, 'iV @ analysis diagram

9 ...'tWb6! (9... kg7?! 1 0.b4;;!;;) 1 0.0-0 cxd4 l l .cxd4 tllxd4 1 2 .tllxd4 'tWxd4 1 3 .tllf3 'ti'g4 14.kd2 gS with very tactical play, Boguszlavszkij-Simonsen, Budapest 2004; D) The computer suggests 9.b3!? fol­ lowed by kb2 as the optimal set-up, but Black can do the same:

i:

'

analysis diagram

Now the most logical option is to acti­ vate the other bishop via a6: 1 0.0-0 ka6 (1 O ... gS!?) 1 1 . l:le l cxd4 1 2.cxd4 tllb4 (12 ...gS!?) 1 3 .tllb l V/iic 7 14.tllc 3 tllxc2 l S.'iYxc2oo with scope for creative play, Gopal-Ghane Gardeh, Visakhpatnam Ach-tt 2008; 1 10

analysis diagram

9 ... kg7 10.kb2 0-0!? 1 1 .'ti'e2 (Sethuraman-Ganguly, Chennai 2008), and now: 1 1 ...f6!+:t; E) Another knight jump, 9.tllfl ?!, seems not very helpful: 9...V/iib 6!? 10.kc2 cxd4 l l .cxd4 kb4+ 1 2 .We2D Oratovsky-Moskalenko, Reus rapid 2009. Here, for instance, 1 2 ... ke7!?+:t; F) Finally, one more recent game: 9.'lie2 cxd4!? (9 ... "tl!Vb6!? 1 0.dxcS 'iVc7+:t) 1 0.cxd4 tllb4+:t looked fine for Black in Hamdouchi-Moskalenko, Salou 201 1 .

Chapter 9 Fianchetto versus Symmetry: 7. l4Jf3 g6 -

9 ... .tg7

E E .i. 'iV 9 i i � i .i. � i ii ii8 8 8 8� 88 88 kl kl tlJ � iY @ Following the main plan. However, at chis point in the opening Black could in­ clude 9...�b6!+±, attacking d4, as in the :\dvance Variation. 1 0. .te3! Black is strong in the centre, so ... 1 0...aS!? I 0 ... 0-0?! is a provocative option: l l .'1Wd2 , with a potential attack. 1 1 .lllbd2 _.\.fter an absurd intermezzo, we have landed in the variation 3 ... d2, with the ·extra' 10.tbe3. 1 1 ...bS! 1 1 ...0-0?! is still dangerous. 1 2.hS gS 1 3.lllh 2?! 0-0!

tfl-- WEAPON: As in many other cases, the best option is to include the exchange 14 ... cxd4! 1 5.cxd4 and now 1 5 .. .fS! 16.exf6 tbxf6 1 7.tbxf6+ �xf6 1 8.tbf3 eS!+:Z.

1 5.exf6 lllxf6 1 6.lllxf6+ 'i!Vxf6 1 7.lllf3 Going back to the set-up of the stem game. 1 7.dxcS! was a good chance to take advantage of Black's error on move 14. 1 7 ... cxd4 But now, best was 1 7 ... g4! 1 8.tbh2 est. 1 8.cxd4 e5!

E

Eventually, I have managed to execute the same plan as if White had played 8.0-0, and I have gained the initiative. The position is not so clear after 18 ... g4 1 9.l::tc l ! eS!. 1 9.dxeS lllxe5 20.llld 4? The blockade does not work. 20.tbxeS was more natural: 20 ...�xeS 2 1 .0-0, with chances of equalizing. 20... lllg 4!-+

E .\r just the right time! This is exactly -.,-hat Black needs to achieve a comforta­ :Jle position. 1 4.lllg 4 fS?! _.;. good idea, but an inaccurate move =,rd er.

.i.

i. i 88 kl

.i. i t2J �� 'Ii' �

•• .i. 'iV i i8 � 88 kl I 1 1

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlJcf 2 Now my friend Charles faces a tough defence. 21 . 'i!fd2 tbxe3 22.fxe3 ..tg4! 23 . ..tg6 'ties 24.ttJf3 'tWxb2 2S. 'tWxdS+ @ha 26.0-0 liad8 27. 'tWe4 ..txf3 28.gxf3 .:td2 Time-trouble is the deciding factor in such situations: 28 ... geS! 29.f4 gxf4-+. 29.f4 gxf4 30.liab1 'ii'es The technical way. 30 ... �xa2!?. 31 Jb:f4 :Xf4 32.exf4 1i'd4+ 33.@h1 1i'd8 34.1i'e1 .tea 3S. 'tWe8+ "ifxe8 36 . ..txea :Xa2 37. ..txbS? 37. .l::i.g l £d2!+. 37 ...axbS 38.:XbS ..td2-+

And my opponent resigned soon after: 39. .:b8+ @g7 40. .:b7+ �g8 41 . .:b8+ � 42. .:b7+ @ea 43.�92 ..txf4+ 44.@13 ..tgS 4S.@g4 :as 46. .l:lg7 @18 47. .l:lg6 � 48.@g3 lia4 0-1

Conclusions regarding 'Fianchetto vs. Symmetry' 7. l2Jgf3 g6 It is clear that the best option for White is 8 .h4! . However, after the semi-block­ ading move 8 ... h6!? (8 ... ge7 is also interesting, whereas the immediate 8 ... �b6 is risky), the h-pawn cannot progress and it becomes quite weak. White must revert to central action - his d4-pawn is in trouble - and solve the problem of his queenside development. In the attack against the centre Black can combine three important resources: . . . f7 -f6 , . . . �b6 and . . . g6-g 5 , at any moment during the opening. The arising posi­ tions are very complicated and neither side is guaranteed success. Michael Adams, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu and other grandmasters have won several games with white, but later Mikhail Gurevich, Evgeny Bareev and the author of this book, among others, improved the line and its statistics. Since it is hard to imagine a thematic tournament where all doubts will be resolved, we will have to wait for new games in this line! -

1 17

Chapter 10 - Plan with the Exchange itc8x itf1: 6 . . . b6

This is an old strategic method to avoid the main lines. Among the 9 1 5 games played in this line, we find the names of some specialists on the French Defence, such as Botvinnik, Petrosian, Kortchnoi, Portisch, Short, Yusupov, Knaak, Moskalenko ... and, more recently, Socko. This non-standard move has a sound positional idea: Black is intending to force the favourable exchange of light-squared bishops by 7 . . . Ji.a6 . However, this plan is rather slow and it gives White several additional tempi for his development. White can choose between two main plans: f2-f4, strengthening his centre with a 'concrete pawn wall ' , or, alternatively, the knight manoeuvre 7 . tbh.3 , preparing an attack with his pieces. The two resources can also be combined. The most dangerous set-up for Black is the one that prepares an attack with pieces: 0:,e2 / ttJh.3_ Cjjf4_ �g4. After a crisis was experienced in this uncomfortable (for Black) set-up, many grandmasters abandoned the 6 . . . b6 variation. I have made a deep investigation of this, my favourite scheme, trying to reanimate it. I even delved into Mikhail Botvinnik's fundamental key ideas! See Games 2 9 - 3 0 .

1 13

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:'id2 Plan with the Exchange �c8x�fl - Games In the following game I was not able to improve my score against Ivanchuk, but thanks to it I learned a great deal about the French Defence, and this knowledge was very useful to me in subsequent games. What I especially learned about was the kind of positions Black should avoid.

serious counterattack: 7... t2Jc6 (7... cxd4!? may be a better move order) 8.tbgf3 cxd4 9.cxd4 lbb4.

.t iV • i. ,. .t. .t. .t. .t. i .t. 8 • 4 8 � t2J 8 8 ttJ 'JJl/ 8 8 8 : � � : i. i

GAME 29 Vasily lvanchuk (2535) Viktor Moskalenko (2440)

analysis diagram

Lvov 1 988 ( 1 2)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ll:id2 ll:if6 4.es ll:ifd7 5.c3 c5 6 . .td3 b6

i. ,. .t 'iV • .t i. .t. ,. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. 8 8 8� 8 8 tfJ 8 8 8 : � 'iV � qs : The idea behind this move is to ex­ change White's most dangerous piece with ... �a6 and �a6x�d3 and from then on to block the position as much as possible. White has two different plans in this position, but he can also combine both of them. 7.f4 Vasily chooses the plan of maintaining the centre with pawns. Another useful move is the king's knight manoeuvre 7.tbh3 , with which White aims to attack with his pieces. See Game 30 for all the ideas with this knight. The automatic response 7.�e2?! tempo­ rarily avoids ... �a6, but it allows a more 1 14

Now Black succeeds in exchanging the terrible �d3 'for free'. TRICK: Here, 1 0 . �bS?? is another automatic response, played very often in my Internet games! After 10 ...ttJc2+! my opponents close the window! 1 0 .0-0 tbxd3+. 7 ... ..b6

t('

'iV • .t i. ,. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t .t. .t. .t. 8 8 8 8� 8 8 t2J : � 'iV � The ball is again in White's court. 8. .tb1 !? A radical concept. White keeps his bishop as an extra attacking resource. Black must react in an ultra-active way. Natural moves would help Black to exe­ cute his plan: A) 8 . �xa6 tbxa6 9.t2Jdf3 tbc7!? (my plan is to prepare the super-blockade .. .f7-f5 and ... c5-c4) 10.tbe2 fS!?.

Chapter I O Plan with the Exchange .2.c8x .2.f 1 : 6 ... b6 -

.2.e7 (10 ... hS Vachier-Lagrave-Akobian, Moscow 2006) 1 1 .0-0 'i¥c7 with equal chances, Ramesh-Buchenau, Sitges 2006. 1 O.cxd4 l:lc8 1 1 . tl:ie2

analysis diagram

In Nimzowitsch style. l l .a4 (1 1 .exf6 tllxf6 12.tlle s .2.d6 is OK) l 1 ...tLlb8! 12.b3 tllc 6. A successful end to a long journey: ...tllg 8-f6-d7-b8-c6. Black won on move 28, Ortel-Moskalenko, Cannes 1990; B) 8.tbdf3 .2.xd3 9.'li'xd3 'li'c8 !? (9... tllc 6=) is a different strategy.

I i � 'ib' 1* ,. i l l l l l l j. 8 8 8 8 'if ttJ 88 88 .: � � tb .:t analysis diagram

Black is aiming to exchange the queens using the same exit. In this game there were some interesting hidden resources: 1 O.f5! 'li'a6! l 1 .'li'e3 (1 1 .'li'xa6 tllxa6=) l 1 ...tllc 6 12.fxe6 fxe6 1 3.tDel .1le7 (13 ...cxd4!?) 14.0-0 0-0= Kr.Georgiev­ Moskalenko, Orange 1 990. 8. . ttJc6 9.tl:idf3 cxd4!? Theoretically, the development of the 6 ...b6 system hardly changes. However, for The Flexible French I already found a few fresh games with 9... g6, another way to prevent f4-f5: 1 0 .tbel .

The critical position for the plan imple­ mented by Ivanchuk (8 . .1lbl). 1 1 .. fS Since I could not find a single dynamic idea over the board, I decided to trust in the fabulous concept of the blockade. In the 1 980s I spent some time studying the series of books about strategy written by Aaron Nimzowitsch. I discovered that he adhered to many dogmas and his concepts don't work well in dynam­ ic positions. Chess might need a 'New System' in the 2 1 st Century! � WEAPON: Of course, possibili­ ties involving the check must be investigated: l l ... .2.b4+! 12 . .2.dl (12.@f2 f6!� Dole-Kobese, Cape Town 201 1) 1 2 ... ii.xdl+ 1 3 .'ti'xdl 'ti'e7!? 14.0-0 'ti'b4�. .

I 1* I l ,. i l l 1. 1 ,. l 18 'iK 8 8 ttJ 8 8 'if tb 8 8 :� :� analysis diagram

115

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tb.d2 I think that, with regard to the resulting ending, Black's position is satisfactory. 1 2.0-0 Another critical move was 1 2 .tllg S �b4+!? (an automatic defence) 1 3.Wf2 tllf8= Graf-Priehoda, Leipzig tt 2002. 12 ... ..te7 1 3.l:l.f2 0-0 1 4.h3

The resulting position is hard to assess. White prepares g2-g4 and Black should wait, since at the moment he has no counterplay. 1 4... ..th4 A slightly desperate move. Any alterna­ tive was probably better. For instance, 14 ... :l'.f7 1 5 .g4 g6 16.l:!.g2 ld.g7=. 1 5. ltJxh4 'ii'x h4 1 6 . ..te3 tras 1 7.b3 ttJb8 1 7... .l:!.c7=. 1 8 . ..tc2 ttJbc6 1 9. 'ii'd 2 l:l.c7 20 . ..td1 l:lfc8 21 .a3 �7

27.tlJc3 ..ia6 28.l:l.f2 ttJge7 29.tlJa2 ..ibS? 30.a4 ..ia6 31 . ..tc3 ..tb7?! 32.b4 a5? 33.bS tlJb4 34.hb4 axb4 35.ltJxb4± And White had no trouble in converting his advantage: 35 ... l:l.c3 36. 'ii'd2 ttJg6 37.ttJd3 l:l.a3 38.l:l.c1 l:l.xc1 39.ltJxc1 'ii'ce 40. ..tb3 l:l.a1 41 .l:l.f1 l:l.a3 42. 'ii'b2 'ii'f8 43.ttJd3 hS 44.l:l.f3 h4 45.�h2 c;i;>h7 46.tlJcS 1 -0 The truth is that I did not get many chances in this game. Ivanchuk in­ creased his advantage very carefully. From a theoretical point of view, the creative plan implemented by lvanchuk with 8.�bl is interesting. I think that the easiest way to equalize is 1 1 ...�b4+!, but the blockade option 1 1 ...fS is quite solid as well. In the following game we will analyse the natural knight manoeuvre 7.tllh 3 (7.tlle 2 and 7.tllf3). White prepares to at­ tack with his pieces, or he can combine this idea with the advance f2-f4. For his part, Black has several defensive set-ups. There are a considerable number of good and bad examples!

GAME 30 lbragim Khamrakulov (2480) Viktor Moskalenko (252 1 ) Salou 2002 (8)

The position is still balanced, but easier to play for White. 22.l:l.f3 ttJg6 23 . ..tf2 'ii'e7 24 . ..te1 'iff8 25. 'ii'e3 tlJc6 26 . ..id2 ..ibS?! 116

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 ttJf6 4.es ttJfd7 5 . ..id3 cs 6.c3 b6 7. �2 The knight's position on e2 is very flexible, so this is the most practical move. Back to the position after 7.(fje2 . A) The natural development 7.{fjgf3 offers fewer ideas: 7... �a6 8.�xa6 (not 8 .c4? cxd4 9.0-0? tllc 5! 0-1 Monroy­ Moskalenko, France tt-2 2002/03, an ultra-miniature!) 8 ... (fjxa6 9.0-0 �el

Chapter 1 0 Plan with the Exchange �c8x�fl : 6 ... b6 -

•

analysis diagram

JO.'tWe2

• PUZZLE:

1 0 .l::i.e l transposes to Chapter 12, Game 37, Andriasian­ Nepomniachtchi.

IO ... lllc 7 1 1 .dxc5 bxc5 1 2.c4 0-0 1 3 . .l:i.dl ,-6! (or, for example, 1 3 ... a5 14.a4 'tWc8 15.b3 �b7 16.�a3 l::i.fe8 1 7.rf.acl .:ad8= A.Frolov-Moskalenko, Lviv ch­ -:JKR 1 988) 14.cxd5 (14.exf6 �xf6=) 1+ ... exd5 1 5.e6 llle 5 16.lllx e5 fxe5 : 7.'tWxe5 �d6 1 8 .'tWh5 �f6 1 9.lllf3 =.ae8+. Black's pieces and pawns are :::iore active, A.Frolov-Moskalenko, 5imferopol ch-UKR 1 990; B) 7.lllh 3!? is another popular and ;;,uong move, with many similarities :::> the lines with lll e 2: 7... �a6 8.�xa6 :: xa6 9.0-0 and now we reach a very :.:nportant position in the 6 ...b6 varia­ :ion:

PUZZLE: 9... cxd4!? is a very inter­ esting try to solve Black's prob­ lems: 1 0.cxd4 lllb 4 1 1 .lllf3 l::!'.c 8 l 2.�d2 �e7 1 3 .tlJf4 leads to an­ other line in the main game, see below under 9.tiJf4; B2) 9 ...b5 is rather provocative: 1 0 .'iVg4!? (10.f4 'tWb6 l 1 .tiJb3 c4 1 2 .tiJd2 tt:Jc7 1 3 .@hl f5 14.exf6 lllxf6 1 5.f5 �d6! 16.fxe6 0-0+ Siklosi-Moskalenko, Budapest 1 988; 1 O.a4 cxd4!N l l .axb5 dxc3! 12 . .l:txa6 cxd2 1 3 . �xd2 'iVb8! 14.'ifh5! g6 1 5 .�e2 with equal chances, Fernandez Garcia-Moskalenko, Solsona 2003) 10 ... cxd4!?N l 1 .cxd4 tiJb6 1 2 .b3 �d7 1 3.a4?! bxa4 14.bxa4 tt:Jb4 1 5.a5 tt:Jc4 1 6.tt:Jxc4 dxc4 1 7.�e3 .l:tc8 with good prospects for Black, Semeniuk­ Moskalenko, Riga 1 988; C) 9 ...lllc7. This manoeuvre maintains the centre and prepares the usual plans in this line: ... c5-c4/. .. b6-b5/. . .f7-f5. lO.tiJf4 (an interesting game was 10.'ifg4!? c4 1 1 .b3 b5 1 2.a4 cxb3 1 3 .a5 b4 14.c4 tiJb8 1 5 . �b2 tLic6 1 6 . .l:tfcl tLie7 1 7.tlJf4 g6 1 8.'iVf3 �h6 1 9.tiJxb3 0-0 20.c5? f6!-+ Mestre Bellido-Moskalenko, Montcada 2009) 10 ... �e7 1 1 .'iVg4.

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

This is a dangerous queen manoeuvre, especially in the Winawer Variation. See Part Four. 1 1 ...g6 12.tiJf3 c4. In my opinion, closing the centre is very risky from a tactical point ofview. White begins 117

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0.d2 to exert pressure on the kingside, where his pieces are well placed to unleash an attack (I have tried 1 2 ... h5!? 1 3.°iVg3 g5! 14-.tLle2 g4-+:t Siklosi-Moskalenko, St Ing­ bert 1990). 1 3.h4- h5 (13 ... h6!?) 14-.�g3 b5 (14-...tLlb8!?) 1 5.tLlh3 .

.i '!¥ 9 � � 1. i i i i i8 i i8 8 8 ttJ W tt:J 88 88 :� : iil

7 i..a6 ...

.i i

analysis diagram

Starting from this position, there are two games of theoretical interest, but with a dismal outcome for Black: 1 5 ...tLlf8!? is the best defensive move, and now: (1 5 ... a5 1 6.tLlfg5-+ with a massacre on the kingside, Berelovich-Jussupow, Germany Bundesliga 2002/03) 1 6.a4bxa4- (1 6 ... b4-!?) 1 7. .l::txa4- a6 1 8.tLlfg5 tLlh7 1 9.�f3 tLlxg5 20 . .2.xg5 .l::tb8 2 1 ..l::ta 2 �xg5 22.tLlxg5 �e7 23 . .l::te l 0-0 24- . .l::te 3 tLle8 25.g4- hxg4- 26.'ifxg4- tLlg7 27. .l::txa6 .l::txb2 28.llf3 .l::tb l+ 29.Wh2 'fib? 30 . .l::td6 ...

'+JV

.i

.i 9 i� :i i i 8 tlS i8 'if 8 8 : 8 � analysis diagram

... with a sharp position, Rublevsky­ Kosyrev, Kazan 2005. 1 18

8. .ba6 If White combines tLle2 with Ivanchuk's idea, he achieves nothing: 8 . �bl tLlc6 9.tLlf3 cxd4- 1 0.cxd4- �b4-+!.

.i .i '!¥ 9 i � iii ..t i � i i8 ..t 8

analysis diagram

Simplifying the position with gain of tempo is always interesting (a concept I also learned from the previous game!). l l .�d2 .2.xd2+ 1 2.'ifxd2 �e7 1 3.a3 (if 1 3 .0-0, then 13 ...�b4-!+:t; against 1 3 .tLlc3 a possible answer is 13 ... tLla5 14-.�d3 �xd3 1 5.�xd3 0-0 16.0-0 .l::tfc 8 17. .l::tacl a6 with equal chances, Baron Rodriguez-Moskalenko, Alcudia 2003) 1 3 ... tLla5!+:t 14-.�c2 .l::tc 8 1 5 .b3 0-0 1 6.0-0 .l::i.c 7 (alternatively, 16 .. .f6!?) 1 7. .!:ifbl �xe2 1 8.�xe2 .l::tfc 8 with a slight initiative for Black, Rozentalis­ Moskalenko, Odessa 1 989. 8 ... ttJxa6 9.0-0 A key moment in the 6 ... b6 variation. White can also show his cards before castling:

Chapter 1 0 Plan with the Exchange �c8x�fl : 6 . . . b6 -

A) For 9.8f3 see the line after the move 7.tLlf3; B) For 9.f4 8c7!? 1 0.0-0 fS see the main game. PUZZLE: 9.8f4

tv • � ii i �i ii8 8 � 8 88 � 88 : k � <;ti i: j

i: i

�c8!? 15.8g3 'ilia6 with equal chances, Botvinnik-Petrovs, Moscow ch-URS 1940. 1 0.f4 This attacking method is the most pop­ ular in practice. The main alternative is 1 0.tLlf4!?, to bring the pieces into play. Note that the resulting position is the same as after 7.8h3 - see the analysis there. Here we give some different examples: 1 0 ... �e7 l l .'iVg4 (1 l .c4 cxd4 1 2.cxdS= Munoz Pantoja-Moskalenko, Catalunya ch 2003: 12 ...tLixeS!) l l ...g6 12 . .l:lel

8 :

analysis diagram

This coincides with the weapon against 7.8h3: 9... cxd4!? 1 0.cxd4 8b4 1 1 .0-0 .l:lc8 1 2.tLlf3 Ji.el 1 3 .Ji..d 2 8c6 (a similar line is 1 3...0-0!? 14.M 8c6 1 5 .g3 bS+:t Wittmann-Gross, Graz 2009) 1 4.'iWa4 0-0 1 5 .b4 a6!+:t Hracek-Kutsin, Czechia tt 1 994/95. 9 ttJc7!? We already know the objective of this manoeuvre. ...

analysis diagram

1 2 ... c4 (a different strategy would be to open the c-file: 12 ... cxd4!? 1 3.cxd4 8b8 1 4.8f3 8c6oo Renaudin-Foisor, Bourbon Laney 1 998) 1 3.8f3 bS (13... hS!?) 14.h4 h6!? (this defence is more creative than the blockade 14 ... hS)

analysis diagram

However, we still have to study the fun­ damental method of Mikhail Botvinnik! A logical continuation is 9 ... Ji..e 7 1 0.f4 (10.8f4 0-0) 10 .. .fS . This plan is quite similar to the main game: 1 1 .exf6 �xf6 12.8f3 0-0 1 3 .Ji..e 3 8c7 14.'iVd3

analysis diagram

1 5.tLlh3 aS 1 6 .hS gS 1 7.8h2 fS! 1 8 .exf6 8xf6 1 9.'iVe2 .l:lg8!? (1 9 ...'ifd7!? 20.tLlg4 1 19

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 tllxg4 2 1 .�xg4 0-0-0+:t) 20.tllg4 (20. f4? g4-+) 20 ... tllxg4 2 1 .�xg4 @d7!= 22.f4 gxf4 23.�e2 �d6 24.�xf4 �h4! 25.�xd6 'lt>xd6 26.�es+ @c6 27.tllf4 l:l'.g5 28.°i¥e3 �g4 29.l:l'.e2 @d6 30 . .t:i.fl l:[e8 1/2- 1/2 Grischuk-Zakharov, Moscow 1 997. 1 0...fS!

I think this is the best defence. 1 1 .exf6 A different response by another clas­ sical player was 1 1 .tllf3 �e7 1 2 . �e3 c4 1 3 .@hl b5 14. .l::i.g l tllb 6 1 5 .g4 fxg4 1 6.l:l'.xg4 g6 1 7.h4 @d7! .

1 1 ... ltJxfG 1 2. tlJf3 �d6 1 3.t2Jg3 0-0 Another satisfactory position for Black.

1 4.b3 I guess that the idea of this move was to prepare c3-c4. A) During my visit to Cuba (a won­ derful country!) I faced 14.�e2 't!!Ve 8 1 5.�d2 tllh 5! 1 6 .tllx hS �xh5 1 7.g3 c4 1 8 . l:l'.ael .l:i.ae8 1 9.�g2 'MVg6 20.l:l'.e2 b5 2 1 .l:l'.fe l a5 22.a3 h6!? 23.tllh4 'iVd3 24.fS b4!+:t and I won this game thanks to the very creative atmosphere of the tourna­ ment, Martin del Campo-Moskalenko, Holguin 1989; B) Another success for Black was 14.tlle S cxd4 (14...tlle 4!?) l 5.cxd4 tlle 4 1 6 .tllg 4?! 'Mfe8 1 7.tllf2 'iVg6 (17 ... tllx f2!?) 1 8 .'iVb3 .l:i.f7 1 9.tllfxe4 dxe4 20.�e3 .l:i.af8 2 1 .fS 'iVg4 22.fxe6 tllxe6 23.tllfS? �f4!+ and Black stands better, Kan­ Botvinnik, Soviet Union m 1 952. 1 4... 11fe8!?

analysis diagram

Black gets the better chances thanks to the exchange of �c8x�fl . 1 8.°i¥c2 �f8 1 9.l:l'.agl tlle 8 20.l:l'.4g2 tllg7 2 1 .tllg 3 �f7 22.hS l:l'.af8 23.hxg6 hxg6+ 24.l:l'.h2 g5 25.l:l'.xh8 .l:i.xh8+ 26.tllh 2 gxf4 27.l:l'.fl �gs 28.�f2 tllfs 29.tllxfS fxe3 30.'t!!Vg2 e2 0-1 Bednarski-Petrosian, Lugano Olympiad 1 968. This game shows the best aspects of the 6 ... b6 plan. 1 20

A very useful queen manoeuvre in this kind of position.

Chapter I 0 Plan with the Exchange �c8x�fl : 6 ... b6 -

1 5. ttJe5 .rl.d8 Strengthening the centre. 1 5 ... hS!?+z. 1 6. 'ife2 lLib5!? Improving the situation of the knights: the idea is ... �c7-8d6-8e4. 17 . ..tb2 ..tc7 1 8.dxc5 bxc5 1 9.c4 lLid6 20.l:ae1 ttJde4= 2 1 . ltJg4 ltJxg3 22. lLixfG+ 22.hxg3 8e4+z. 22 ... l:xf6! 23.hxg3 d4=F

.-\fter the knight duels, Black has obtained an advantageous position. The bishop on c7 is stronger than its opposite number on b2. 24. 'ife4 'ifg6!? 25. 'iff3 25.'tWxg6 hxg6!?=F followed by ...g6-g5. 25... h5! 26. 'ifc6 ..td6 27. .l:r.f3 h4! The strategic phase is over! 28 . ..ta3? There is no time to activate the bishop; now the game is tactically lost. The pawn had to be captured: if 28 .gxh4 �xf4+, with the initiative for Black. 28... hxg3 29.hc5

29 ... ..txf4?! Complicating the situation. I was very short of time at this point. There was an easy win here with 29...�hS 30.�xd4 (30.�xd6 .ld.xd6) 30 ... �xf4!. 30 . ..te7! There is no mate, but now incredible complications begin. 30 ... 'ifh5? 30 ... d3 !! 3 1 .�xf6 (3 1 .�xd8? �h6!) 3 1 ...'tWxf6, winning. 31 . ..txf6 The only move: not 3 1 . �xd8?? �h2+ 32.Wfl 'MVhi+ 33 .We2 �xg2+ 34.Wd3 �d2+. 3 1 . . . 'it'h2+ 32 . ..ti>f1 'fi'h1 + 33. �e2 'ifxg2+ 34. d 3 'fi'd2+ 35. @e4 'ifxe1 + 36. xf4 J:[f8! 37. �g4! g2! 38 . ..txd4 g1 'if+ 39 . ..txg1 'ifxg1 +

40.J:[g3?? These things always happen on the last move before the time control. 40.Wh3!= would have saved the game. 40 ... 'fi'd1 + I repeat my previous words! 40 ...�d4+! 41 .Wh3 .l::f.f6-+. 41 .l:tf3! 41 .Wh3 �hs+ 42.Wg2 �e2+ 43.'it>h3 l:1:f6-+. 41 ... 'ife2!--+ Black has to start from scratch again. 121

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 47... .l:f.hl mate was better. 48.@g2 'ifg4+ 49. .:tg3 .:td2+ 50. 'ii'f2 'ife4+ 51 . .:tf3 :Xf2+ 52.@xf2 'ii'c2+ 53.@e3 'ii'xa2 54.@e4 'ii'a3 55 . .:tc3 'ifcs 56.@d3 es 57.b4 'ifd4+ 58.@c2 e4 59.cS e3 60.c6 e2 61 .c7

42.@g3 'ii'e5+ 43.@h3 :dB! 44. 'ii'b7? My opponent was tired. But objectively, 44.�bs �el 45.�b7 �hl+ 46.'i¥tg3 �gl + 47.'it>h3 �g6! was still winning for Black. 44 ... 'ifhS+ 45.@g3 'ifg6+? 45 ...�gs+!. 46. @h3? 46.'i¥tf2!. 46... .:td1 47. 'ii'xa7 'ifh5+!? Enjoying the attack and time-trouble at the same time.

61 ... 'ifxc3+! The last hit in this memorable game. 62. @xc3 e1 1i'+ 63.@c4 'ifc1 + 64.!ifi>bS 'ifxc7 White resigned. Exactly on the 64th move!

Summary of the �c8x�fl exchange plan with 6 ...b6 Even if Black gets to exchange White's best piece, he loses some tempi and has little space. Nowadays, the best French Defence players hardly use 6 ... b6. This might be due to the difficulty of obtaining serious counterplay and also to its bad statistics (Short and Jussupow have lost nearly all the games they played in this variation). The most dangerous plan is CiJe2 / tbh3-4Jf4- �g4, which promises White a long­ term initiative and a possible attack on the kingside. At this point, closing the centre with . . . c5-c4 is very risky, but Black cannot afford to open up the game either! From a dynamic point of view, in many lines White has more tempi available. Some advice to fans of the . . . b7 -b6/ . . . �a6 plan: the idea 9 . CiJf4 cxd4 1 0 .cxd4 CiJb4! ? is interesting. Apparently this does not allow White to play the most annoying plan with �g4, bringing the queen to the kingside. Please, analyse all the possibili­ ties here for yourself (see again Game 3 0 ) . Otherwise, Black can try other variations against 3 . CiJd2. The dogma according to which the c8-bishop is bad might not be correct. As yet there is no convincing evidence for this rule!

1 22

Chapter 11

-

A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4

1 .e4 es 2.d4 dS 3.t2Jcl2 tllf6 4.es tllfd7 5.f4

.i � i. tv • .t .I i i i� i ii i i8 • 8 8

White makes solid preparations, creating a broad chain of central pawns. This line has been very popular since the 1 960s (now there are already 5000 games in MegaBase with it). So, we must study the best possibilities against (and with) this white wall. After S ... cS! White can play in classical style, without c2-c3, trying to occupy the d4-square with his knights: 6.tLlgf3. See the comments to Game 3 1 and in Part Three (Classical System, by transposition). However, the most appropriate move in this line is 6.c3 !?, strengthening the centre with another pawn.

.i � i. if • i. .I ii � iii i ii8 8 8 8 8 8 <1J 88 .: i. 'iV � i. <1J .:

Now Black must reveal his plans and resources: 1) Black can revert to the plan with the exchange �c8x�fl by playing 6 ...b6 (see examples in Game 3 1). 2) The forgotten (but still legendary) 'Nimzo-Botvinnik-Kortchnoi-Petrosian' method is 6 . .tbc6 7.tLldf3 c4 (Game 3 1). 3) Another blockading line, creative and flexible, is 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 aS!?, following old (yet again fresh) paths. Or also the dynamic check 8 ... �b4+ (Game 32). .

1 23

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0id2 4) Combining counterattacks with pieces (7... �a5 or 7/8 .. �b6, 9. . �b4+) and breakthroughs (.. .f7-f6 or ...g7-g5) (Game 34). And the modern line 7...1!fb6 8.a3 (Game 33). 5) An important resource is the preparation of a spectacular knight sacrifice in the centre: ... tt:Jxe5!. See the attacks led by grandmasters Uhlmann, Vaganian, Comas, Moskalenko, etc. (Games 32 and 34). 6) Also, Black can combine several ideas and resources as if he were making a salad (Game 34). 7) For his part, White has a dangerous counter set-up against the plan with 7 ..'t!Hb6, devised by the strong master Sakharov and grandmaster Isaac Boleslavsky and developed by the latter's pupil Boris Spassky: g2-g3/Wf2-Wg2/h2-h4/�d3 and a2a3/b2-b4, dominating the board (Game 34). .

.

.

1 24

Chapter 1 1 - A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4 A PawnWedge

-

Games

In their classic games, Botvinnik, Petrosian and Kortchnoi demonstrated the best defensive qualities of the French Defence.

GAME 31 Predrag Ostojic Mikhail Botvinnik Wijk aan Zee 1 969 (1)

1 .e4 e6 Botvinnik's favourite reply to l .e4. 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2 tt::if6 4.es tt:Jfd7 5.f4!

for his pieces. The knight on d7 suffers a lot, but never the bishop on c8! s ...cs 6.c3 Maintaining the centre with pawns, ac­ cording to the concept behind f2-f4. PUZZLE: Knight moves such as 6.ti"Jdf3 tbc6 7.tbe2 lead to the Classical System, which can be found in Part Three, the game Morozevich-Moskalenko. /flJ*- WEAPON: A more or less inde­ pendent idea is the manoeuvre 6.ti"Jgf3!?, which was excellently analysed by John Watson in his book Dangerous Weapons: The French (for white players).

•

A very solid plan. Usually in this line Black tends not to get too much space analysis diagram

World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik ( 1 9 1 1 - 1 99 5 ) . The French Defence was his favourite opening against 1 .e4. Many of Botvinnik's ideas still retain their value.

Let's look a bit deeper: 6 ...tbc6 (in the game Smagin-Moskalenko, Moscow 1 995, I played 6 ... cxd4!?. In this way Black can simplify and improve his passive tLld7: 7.tLlb3 tbc6 8.ti"Jbxd4 tbxd4 9.ti"Jxd4 �cs 1 0 .c3 'ti'b6 l l .a4 a5 1 2 . �bS 0-0 1 3.�e3 f6!� with a complex position) 7.ti"Jb3 and now: 7...'ti'b6 (another main response is the blockading move 7... c4!?, quite similar to the main game but saving a few tempi: 8 .ti"Jbd2 bS 9.�e2 'ti'a5!? (preventing the manoeuvre ti"Jd2-fl) 1 0.c3 b4+:t) 8.dxc5 (if 8.c3!? a5 9.a4 cxd4 I O.cxd4 �b4+! l I .c;t>f2 ti"Jdb8!? with a typically complex game, Denoyelle-Chaudagne, France 1 998) 8 ... �xc5!N. 1 25

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tLxl2

.I ..t • ii � ii 'ii' � i ..t i 8 8 t2J t2J 8 888 � .�:iV w �

.I i

8 �

analysis diagram

An anti-dogmatic move. 9.�d3 (if 9.tllxcS tllxcS 1 0.c3 0-0 1 1 .'1We2 �c7!? 12.�e3 b6!� Black is OK) 9... �f2+ 10.We2 f6 1 1 ..l:!'.fl �cs 12.tllxcS 'iYxcS 13.�e3 'iYe7 14.exf6 tllxf6= Cabrera Trujillo­ Moskalenko, Tenerife (rapid) 2006. Summarizing: As usual in 'classical' lines like 6.tllgf3 (without c2-c3), domi­ nation and balance go together. 6 ... t2Jc6 Reverting to the plan �c8x�fl is still possible with 6 ... b6, but White can save a tempo by keeping his bishop on fl : 7.tllh 3!? (if 7.tlldf3 �a6 8.�xa6 tllxa6 9.tlle2 tllc 7 1 0.0-0 fS 1 1 .exf6 tllxf6 1 2 .tlle S �d6 the extra tempo, com­ pared with Game 30, does not alter the balance, Dobrovolsky-Moskalenko, Odessa 1989) 7... �a6?! (the waiting move 7... �e7!? is better) 8.�xa6 tllxa6 9.0-0 tllc 7 1 0.fS! and White starts his attack, Glek-Moskalenko, Odessa 1 989. 7.ttJdf3 c4

.I ..t 'ii' • ..t .I ii � iii � i i8 i8 8 8 t2J 88 88 � �'li' � � tb � 1 26

This is the old concept. Black puts an end to the central tension by blocking the position. We will check the modern choices in the following games of this chapter. 8.g4 Of course, this is not the only way: 8 .tllh 3 �e7 9.�e2 bSoo with many pos­ sibilities for both players. 8 . . b5 Beginning an attack on the opposite flank. � WEAPON: A classic defence is provided by Petrosian's move 8 ... hS!? 9.gxhS .l:!'.xh5 I O.tlle 2 tllb 6 1 I .tllg3 �h8, .

.I ..t 'ii' • � .I ii ii �� i i8 i8 8 8 t2J t2J 88 8 � � 'iV � � � analysis diagram

Kupper-Petrosian, Tel Aviv Olympiad 1 964. From here, Black won in fascinating strategic style. 9.tlJe2 9.fS tllb 6!?. 9 . . lllb6 .

.I i

1 0 . ..ih3

..t

Chapter 1 1 A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4 -

With 10.tllg3 ile7 the chess program 'Dragon' lost a 52-move game against Seirawan, The Hague 1 997. In the same year as our main game, Viktor Kortchnoi scored another victory for the defence with the blockading move 7... c4: IO.ikg2 hS!? 1 1 .gxhS .l::!.x hS 12.tllg3 .l::!.h 8 1 3 . ile3 tlle 7 (13 ... b4!?) 14.�d2 .l::!.b 8 1 5.b4 tllg 6! 1 6.�f2 aS! 1 7.a3 �a8 1 8.0-0 tllh4!+,

j. � j. j. j. 8 8 j. 8 8 � 8 8 ttJ ttJ � il il 8 :@ : Garcia Martinez-Kortchnoi, Havana 1 969. This is similar to the Labyrinths in Part One. After gaining control over the entire board, Black won slowly but without relaxing for a moment. 1 0 ... h5!+:t A common defence against the attack with the f- and g-pawns. Quite similar to the Kortchnoi and Petrosian games. 1 1 .gxh5 :Xh5 1 2. �g4 .J:[h8 1 3. ll:ig3 �7 1 4. 'ifc2 g6 1 5.h4 Looking for new attacking resources. If 15.ild2 tllfS!=i'=. 1 5... ll:if5! From this point on, we will follow Mikhail Botvinnik's comments: 1 6. �xf5 16.�h2 b4! - Botvinnik. 1 6 ... gxf5! 'Now Black's position on the kingside is secure. He has sufficient space for ma­ noeuvring, while the white h-pawn is not only blocking the enemy forces, but is also a target' - Botvinnik.

.t 'iV * .t E j. j. j. j. 8 j. j. 8 8 8 8 ttJ ttJ 8 8� : � � 1 7. ll:ig5 f6! 1 8.exf6 'ifxf6 1 9. 'ife2 i..d 6 20.h5 .J:[h6! 'The h-pawn must be blockaded, since it is restricting three of its own pieces: queen, rook, and knight at g3' Botvinnik. 21 . ll:if3 i..d7 22.�5 0-0-0=F (Gligoric). 23.i..e3 .J:[gS 24.@12 �ea 25.l:ag1 .J:[gh8 26 . .J:[h3 @c7 27. .J:[gh1 .J:[8h7 28 . .1:[1 h2 'ifh8 29. 'iti>g2 ll:ic8! 30. �d2 �7 31 . ll:if3 i..d 7 32.ll:ig5 'White has returned his knight to its former position, from where it at least prevents the opponent from tripling on the h-file' - Botvinnik. 32 ... .J:[g7 33.ll:if1 ll:ig8 34.'iti>h1 .J:[e7 35 . .J:[h4 ll:if6+

j.

• .t E _t j. � E j. j. j. ttJ 8 j. 8 8 :g: 8 : 8 8 il iV ttJ � 'From this point until the time con­ trol White does not do anything, since he has no such opportunity, and Black waits for the end of the time scramble' - Botvinnik. 127

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . �2 36 . .rl2h3 @ca 37.lllg 3 'iff8 38.@g2 �c6 39. �1 as 40. l:[h2 40.tllxe6? 'i1fe8 4 1 .tllxf5 l::rxe6! 42.tllx d6+ a'.xd6, winning. 40 ... 'ifea 41 .-..e 1 llle4 42.lll5 xe4 dxe4!

43.-..e2 �dS 44.a3 l:[b7 4S.�2 .:r.91 46.lllf 1 �e7 47. .:r.4h3 •ga 4a. .:r.93 .:.Xg3 49.lllx g 3 •de SO. •11 �h4 S1 . 'ifh3 .:.XhS S2.@e2 l:[h8 S3.lllxfS? exfS S4.�e1 �f6 SS. •xtS+ @c7 S6 . .:.Xh8 hh8 S7. �h4 .d7 S8 .•f8 •g4+ S9.@d2 e3+ 60.@xe3 'ifxh4 61 .•cs+ 0-1 Summary of the blockading 7. c4: In all honesty, I have not been able to find an immediate refutation of this legendary, but forgotten plan. However, I greatly enjoyed analysing the games of the best players of that period! I doubt whether the authors of books like Beating the French Defence (and other good defences) could actually have defeated heroes such as Petrosian, Kortchnoi or Botvinnik. The value of their ideas will be retained for as long as our game is played! ..

GAME 32 Vitaly Pesotsky Viktor Moskalenko Chernigov 1 985 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. llld2 lllf6 4.eS lllfd7 S.f4 cs 6.c3 lllc6 7.llldf3 cxd4!? 1 28

In order to determine White's pawn structure. 8.cxd4

a ...as With this advance Black prepares an at­ tack on the queenside, while keeping the usual possibilities open. This idea had not been very widely developed before The Flexible French came out in 2008 (35 games in total). Now there are already 85 games, including several high-level ones.

tfl*- WEAPON:

In some Internet games I have practised the dy­ namic check 8 ... £.b4+!?. This could be another route to inves­ tigate: 9.Wf2 (9.£.d2 'i1fa5 1 0.a3 .2.xd2+ l 1 .'i1fxd2 'i1fxd2+ 1 2.Wxd2 tllb 6+:t with an equal ending, David Howell­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2007) 9 ... f6 1 0.£.e3?! waste of time (10.g3 (56 Mega games) 10 ... 0-0 l 1 .Wg2 tllb 6 12 . .2.d3 .2.d7oo Za4od-CapNemo, play­ chess.com 2007) 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .tlle2 fxe5!? 1 2.fxe5 tlld xe5! 1 3 .dxe5 tllx e5- Fallen in love-CapNemo, playchess.com 2006. 9.�d3 Some alternatives which turned out suc­ cessfully for Black: A) 9.a4 f6! 1 0.h4 'i1fb6 l 1 . £.b5 .2.b4+ 1 2.Wf2 0-0 1 3.Wg3 'i1fc7 14.�c2 fxe5 1 5.fxe5 tllf6! .

Chapter 1 1

analysis diagram

-

A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4

Now Black gets good counterplay with the manoeuvres ...tlla 5-b3 and ...tllbc4. 1 1 .ttJh3 Alternatively, l 1 .tlle 2 �e7 (1 1 ...tlla S!?) 1 2.Wf2 (12.0-0 �d7 1 3 .tllc 3 tlla S+:t Suradiradja-Dzhumaev, Jakarta 20 1 2) (12.M �d7 1 3 .hS tllc4 14.tllc 3 bS+ Hou Yifan-Harika, Sharjah 2014) 1 2 ... �d7 1 3.g4?! tllc4 14.fS imrb6+ Zinchenko­ Ganguly, Paleochora 2012. 1 1 ... tLias 1 2.0-0 tLib3 1 3.l:l.b1 tLic4

Black's initiative has become very dan­ gerous, Heinel-Bukal, Pula 1 997; B) 9.tlle2 a4 1 0.g4?! (10.a3 tllb 6+:t is similar to the main game) 10 ... hS!? (10 ...tllb6) 1 1 .gxhS .l:rxh5 1 2 .tllg3 .!:f.h8 13.M tllb 6 14.hS tllc4+ Laubsch-Becker, Germany Bundesliga B 2006/07. 9 ...a4

E

.t � 9 .t E j. " j. j. j. " j. j. 8 it. • 8 8 � t2J 88 ttJ �

1 0.a3 This natural blockade weakens the squares b3 and c4, which will be the next destinations of Black's knights. fl!-- WEAPON: Another option for White is to ignore the advance of the a-pawn: 1 0.tlle 2!? tllb 6 1 1 .0-0 �e7! 1 2 .g4 (12.tllc 3 �d7+:t) 1 2 ... h5 (12 ...tllc4!?) 1 3 .gxhS �xh5 14.tllg 3 �h8 1 5.fS tllc4 1 6.fxe6 �xe6 1 7.tllfs �xf5 (1 7... �f8!?) 1 8. �xfS 'i!Vb6+:t with a sharp Motwani-Dolezal, position, Luxembourg 1 990. 10 ... tLlb6

Black celebrates his opening success. 1 4 . ..tc2 White is in trouble and he fails to find a suitable plan. If 14.imrel bS!. 14 ... 'ifb6 1 5 . ..txb3 axb3 1 6. ttJf2 ..td7 1 7.ttJd3 ..te7 1 8.:Z.f2 0-0 Black has a comfortable advantage. 1 9 . ..td2 tlJxd2! 20.:Xd2 l:tfc8 2 1 . ttJc1 ..ta4 22.tlJe2 'if as 23.ttJc3 :Xc3! 24.bxc3 'ifxc3 25.l:l.d3 'ifc4 26.l:f.e3? 26.llbxb3!? b5!? 27.imrbl �xb3 28 . .!:f.xb3 .i:!.aS!+:. 26... ha3 27. 'ifd3 ..tc1 28.ll:d2 'ifxd3 29Jb:d3 b2 30.ttJb3 hb3 0-1 Summary of 7. cxd4 cxd4 8.aS!?: At the moment, this plan has not yet been widely explored. It may present a new field for investigation by black players. Nowadays, the main weapon to meet the 'Pawn Wedge' is the dynamic coun1 29

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tb.d2 terattack connected with 7...1'Vb6 (ana­ logically to Black's set-up in the Advance Variation, but with the black knight on d7 instead of g8). First we will test White's fashionable prophylactic move 8.a3.

GAME 33 Zvonko Stanojoski (2475) Sergey Volkov (2605) Elista ol 1 998 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2 ll:if6 4.es ll:ifd7 5.f4 cs 6.c3 ll:ic6 7.ttJdf3 Now the most effective manoeuvre is: 7 ... 'ii' b6!

r�1

E .t • .t E ii � iii 'iV � i ii8 8 8 Cjj 8 88 88 :I � iV c;t> � Cjj :I

needs to be combined with further un­ dermining measures (sometimes ...g5, which carries its own risks) in order to be really effective. However, the po­ tential weakness of b3 remains the key issue, and Black's direct attempt to ex­ ploit it that we witness here is one of his main antidotes.' 8... cxd4 I also like GM Dgebuadze's natural plan of 8 ... �e7 as a strong alternative: A) If for example 9.h4, Black can return to the main idea: 9 ... cxd4 1 0.cxd4 4.:laS! 1 1 .l::l.h 3 (1 1 .4.:le2 4.:lb3 1 2 . .ld.bl 4.:lxcl ! 1 3.1'Vxcl 1'Vd8!? and ... 4.Jd7-b6) 1 1 ...4.:lb3 12.nb1 4.:lxcl 1 3.1'Vxcl �as+ (13 ...�d8!? with the idea ...4.:ld7-b6) 14.4.:ld2 4.:lb6 1 5.l:!'.c3 0-0 1 6.4.:lb3 'ifa4 1 7.4.:lf3 1'Ve8 1 8 .4.:lcs 4.:la4 1 9.nc2 4.:lxc5 20.dxcS f6!l Howell-l'Ami, Wijk aan Zee B 2010; B) 9.b4 cxd4 1 0.cxd4

E *' i i � .t i i i 'iV � i i8 8 8 Cjj 88 :I � 'iV c;t> � Cjj :I E

PLAN: In this set-up Black com­

�� bines the moves ...11ib6, ...cxd4 and ... �b4+, and then .. .f7-f6 or even ... g7-g5, thus trying to crush the white centre. This plan will appear more clearly in the next game. 8.a3 GM Peter Wells wrote in CBM 102: 'This has become quite fashionable in recent times with Luke McShane employing it in a series of impressive attacking games. It makes a good deal of sense, not just cutting out ... �b4+, but also intro­ ducing the aspiration to play the space gaining b4 himself. Compared with the 6.a3 line in the Advanced, White's pawn chain is less vulnerable at the head - f6 1 30

.t

analysis diagram

10 ... a6!?, planning the set-up ...1!fc7-b54.:lb6-4.:lc4. TRICK: some tactical ideas ap­ pear in the line 1 0 .. .f6!? l l . �d3 0-0 1 2.4.:le2 fxe5 1 3.fxeS?! I:i.xf3! 14.gxf3 �h4+ 1 5 .�fl 4.:ldxeS!t David Howell-CapNemo, play­ chess.com 2008. 1 l . �b2 (similar is l 1 .h4 1'Vc7 12.If.bl b5! 1 3 . �d3 4.:lb6 14.4.:le2 �d7!� Dutreeuw­ Dgebuadze, Aalst 2005) 1 1 ...'ifc? 1 2.4.:lel

t(

Chapter 1 1 A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4 -

b5 1 3 .lbc3 lbb6! 14.'iVc2 �d7 1 5 .:tcl �b7 16.�d3 lbc4+ 1 7.fS? �xb4! 18.fxe6 �xe6+ Rudd-Dgebuadze, Liver­ pool 2006. 9.cxd4 ll:)aS!?

• .i. .I � .t. .t. .l .t. .t. 8 8 8 ttJ 8 88 � 'iV� � tb : .i.

Immediately exploiting the weakened squares b3-c4 after White's 8.a3. 1 0.b4 /fl"- WEAPON: The main alternative for White is 1 0 .lbe2 and now: 1 0 ...lbb3!? (simplifications are welcome for Black! 1 0 ...'iVb3 leads to a complex endgame after l l .�d2!? lbc4! 1 2 .'ifc3 �xc3+ 1 3.lbxc3 a6 14.b3 lbas 1 5 . .ld.bl lbb6 16.�d3 �d7oo Swiercz-Vallejo Pons, Plovdiv Ech 201 2) 1 1 ..ld.bl lbxc l ! 1 2 .'ifxcl �e7 1 3.lbc3 °i:Vd8 !?N , followed by ...lbd7-b6/. .. �d7/. .. .ld.c8 etc., and Black gets active counterplay. 1 0... tlJc4

.I .i. • .i. .I .t. .t. � .t. .t. .t. 'iV .t. .t. 8 8�8 8 8 ttJ 88 : � 'iV � � ttJ : 1 1 . �d3

I've played many Internet blitz games in the 'Pawn Wedge' line, mainly against the great fan of 3 .lbd2, grandmaster David Howell. Curiously, I always got better positions as Black. Maybe David is not so good as a blitz player! l l .�xc4 dxc4 12.lLle2 a5! (12 ...�c6 1 3.dS!?)

• .i. � .t. .t. .t. 8 .t. 8 .t. 8 8 8 ttJ ttJ 8 : � 'iV � .i.

.I .t.

8 :

analysis diagram

1 3 .bS (13.bxaS �xas+ 14. �d2 'iYa6!? 1 5.0-0 lbb6+) 13 ...'iVc7!? (13 ...'iVxbS 14.lbc3 �c6 1 5.dS exd5 1 6 .lbd4 'ii'g 6! 1 7.0-0 �cs 18.�e3oo David Howell­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2009) 14.lbc3 lbb6 1 5.�e3 lbds 1 6 .lLlxdS exd5 1 7.°'iYc2 g6! 1 8.0-0 �fs+ David Howell­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2009. 1 1 ...aS!t

.I

.t. �

.i.

•

.I .t. .t. .t.

.t. .t. .t. 8 8�8 8 8 � ttJ :

�

� 'iV �

88 ttJ :

Now Black's position is more than satisfactory. 1 2.'ii'a4 _.-- TRICK: 1 2.bxaS �xa5+ 1 3 . �d2? 11 lbxd2 14.lbxd2 �c3 1 5 . �bS �xd4-+ Mortensen-Visser, Andorra 200 1 . 131

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlJd2

1 2 ... 'ifc6 Continuing the simplifications. How­ ever, Black is clearly better also after 1 2 ...�c7!? or 1 2 ...'iWa7!?. 1 3.'ifxc6 bxc6 1 4. i.xc4 dxc4

S4.:ae .:Xf6 ss.h4 .:.14 s6 . .:.a1+ @ea S7.hxgs hxgs se.:as f6 S9.:a7 l:f.e4 60.@13 .l:e7 0-1 With a 'mixed salad' oflines we conclude the study of 3 ... tbf6. Here Black combines all his resources in the fight against the pawn wedge created by 5/6.f4.

GAME 34 Leonid Yudasin (2475) Viktor Moskalenko Lviv 1 984 (2)

The endgame is very promising for Black in every way. 1 S.bxas cs 1 5 ... �xaS!+. 1 6.0.e2 i.b7 1 7.i.d2 i.e7 1 8. @f20-0 1 9.@g3 .:.tee 20.:Chc1 .ie4 21 .dxcS i.d3 22.0.ed4 ttJxcS 23 . .ib4 0.e4+ 24.'iii>h3 i.cs 2s.:a2 h6 26.g4 .:.c1 27.fS exfS 28.gxfS tbgS+ 29.'iii>g4 .:.de 30.lt:JbS .:.b7 31 .lbd6 i.xd6 32.exd6 0.e4 33.a6 .:.a1 34.0.eS .:.Xa6 3S.ttJxd3 cxd3 36 . .:.c4 ttJxd6 37. .:.d4 lt:Jb7 38 . .:.XdB+ ttJxd8 39.:Cd2 lbc6 40.@14 ttJxb4 41 .axb4 .:.b6 42 . .:.Xd3 .:.Xb4+ 43.@g3 @18 44. .:.d7 @ea 4s.:a1 .:.d4 46.f6?

• •

�

8

46 ... gS!-+ 47.h3 .:.t4 48.:a6
1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.lbd2 lt:Jf6 4.es lt:Jfd7 S.c3 cs 6.f4 lbc6 7. lbdf3 cxd4!? First, we must study some famous games in the French Defence, to understand its great popularity. Black prepares the sac­ rifice of his d7-knight: ...tbdxeS. 7...'iWaS is an original manoeuvre.

analysis diagram

It is probably not the best idea here, but in this line I like the immortal game by a virtuoso, Rafael Vaganian: 8 .'itif2 (the most popular reply. If 8.dxcS , Black has the interesting 8 ...VWc7!?N 9.b4 as I 0 . .2.d2 axb4 1 1 .cxb4 f6 1 2.exf6 tbxf6gg; 8 . .2.e3!? is another critical move) 8 ... .2.e7 9. .2.d3 'iWb6 I O.tbe2 f6 1 1 .exf6 (1 ! .'itig3 gS! with the initiative for Black, Adorjan­ Vaganian, Teesside tt 1 974) 1 1 ....2.xf6 (1 1 ...tbxf6!?� is also good) 1 2.'itig3 cxd4 1 3.cxd4 0-0 14 . .ll.e ! eS!!� .

Chapter 1 1

-

A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4

/fl"- WEAPON: We already know 7...'Yi'b6! (the best square for the queen) 8 .tlJe2 (8.g3!? is similar to the main game) 8 .. .f6! 9.g3.

Sergey Volkov (born 1 974) is one of the present-day champions of the Classical French. In this game he crushes the white 'pawn wedge' with the dynamic manoeu­ vres 7 . . . 'W b6 and 9 . . . ti:las.

analysis diagram

fascinating attacking resource. 1 5 . fxe5 (15.tlJc3 exf4+ 1 6 .�xf4 g5!f; 1 5.dxe5 tt:Jdxe5!) 1 5 ...tt:Jdxe5! 1 6.dxe5 �h4+! (the decisive move) 1 7.xh4 (forced) 1 7 .. Jhf3! and Black won after some more spectacular moves: 1 8 . .l::!.fl 'iYb4+ 1 9.Af4 'iVe7+ 20.Ag5 'iie 6! 2 1 .Af5 .l::!.xf5 22.tt:Jf4 'iixe5 23.�g4 .l::!.f7 24.'iVh5 tt:Je7 25.g4 tt:Jg6+ 26.g3 �d7 27.Uael 'iVd6 28.Ah6 .l::!.af8 0-1 Reshevsky-Vaganian, Skopje 1976. With time, Vaganian changed his defence from 7...�a5 to Tarrasch's idea of 3 ... c5 4.exd5 exd5.

A

analysis diagram

This is one of the tactically important positions in the 'Pawn Wedge' var­ iation. 9 ... cxd4!? 1 0.cxd4 (10.tt:Jexd4 fxe5! l l.fxe5 tlJc5 1 2 . Ah3 �e7 1 3 .0-0 0-0 14.'iVe2 tt:Jxd4 1 5.tlJxd4 .l::!.x fl+ 16.xfl Ad7+:t Atlas-Luther, Austria tt 2001 /02) 10 ... �b4+ l l . �d2? (allowing a frontal attack in the centre. Better was 1 1 .tlJc3 fxe5! 1 2.fxe5 0-0 1 3 .Af4 tt:Jdxe5!?, a forced combination leading to a balanced endgame: 14.Axe5 tt:Jxe5 1 5.tt:Jxe5 �xc3+ 1 6 .bxc3 'iYb2 1 7.'iic l �fl+ 1 8 .dl 'iYxfl+ 1 9.l:rxfl .l::!.xfl+ 20.d2 .l::!.xcl 2 1 ..!:lxcl b6= Robson­ Meier, Lubbock 2010; l l .Wf2?? is another error: l l ...fxe5 12.fxe5 tt:Jdxe5!) l 1 ...fxe5 12.fxe5 0-0 1 3 . Ag2 tt:Jdxe5!!�.

analysis diagram

133

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tl:ld2 One solution to the problem of the d7knight in the 'Pawn Wedge' is to give it away! 14.dxeS tZ:lxeS 1S.�xb4! (after 1 S .tllf4? 'We3+ 16.@fl �xd2 17.tZ:lxeS 'WxeS 18.'Wxd2 gS 19. .l::i.e l 'Wf6+, with two extra pawns Black continued attack­ ing in Slobodianiuk-Moskalenko, Alushta tt 1 994; the oldest example is 1 S .tlled4? tlld 3+ 16.@e2 tZ:lxb2 1 7.°iYb3 'ti'a6+ 1 8.@f2 �xd2 19.'ti'xb2 �d3 20 . .l::!.adl 'ti'e3+ 21 .@fl b6!-+, Hamann-Uhlmann, Halle Zonal 1 963) 1 S ...�xb4+ 16.@f2 ...

The black queen is activated, but the d7knight still has no squares. Maybe, for that reason, the most flexible move is 8 ... aS!?, which we saw in Game 32. 9.g3 Another white pawn move which sup­ ports the centre, at the same time vacat­ ing the g2-square for the king. The continuation 9.tlle2 f6!? (9... �b4+ 10.tllc 3;!;) 1 0 .a3 has been analysed in the game Morozevich-Moskalenko in Part Three. /fl*- WEAPON: The advance 9.h4 is quite popular. Now: 9... .tb4+!? (9.. .f6 1 0.a3!) 1 0 .@f2 (forced: 10.�d2? tllxd4!) 1 0 .. .f6 l l .�e3 0-0�.

E .t ii ii � �� i i i8 .t 8 8 iiL tLi �8 � iiL tt:J ::r

analysis diagram

... and now Black has several ways to continue: 1 6 ...'We4!? (or 1 6 ... gS 1 7.h3 hSt M. Mayer-Lindorfer, Schoneck jr 1 998) 1 7.tllc 3 tlld 3+ 1 8 .@fl �c4 1 9.'ti'e2 es 20.h3 e4+ Hartwig-Seifert, Germany tt 1 998/99. 8.cxd4 This must be the main reply. In the event of 8 .tllxd4 tllc S!� Black frees his passive knight on d7. 8.. 'ifb6!? .

E .t 9 .t E ii � iii �� i i8 8 8 tLi 88 88 ::r .�:iV � iiL tLi ::r 1 34

analysis diagram

With a different move order we have ar­ rived in the game Drazic-Cebalo, Bratto 2002. Now, typical play ensued after 1 2 .tlle2 °iYd8!? 1 3 .@gl tllb 6 14.tllg3 fS 1 S.�d3 �d7 1 6.@f2 aS!? 1 7.hS a4 1 8 .a3 �e7 l 9.tlle 2 tlla S!=F and Black dominates on the queenside, in a similar way as in Game 32. 9 .. �b4+! The most dynamic option. A) 9 .. .f6 is a little slow: 1 O.�h3!? (10.a3!?) 10 ... �b4+ 1 1 .@fl ! (1 J .@f2?) 1 1 ...0-0 l 2.@g2 .

Chapter 1 1

1 2 ... fxeS?! (Black has delayed this move and he should now have dedicated him­ self to putting up a blockade with 12 ... fSoo) 13.fxeS tlJdxeS? 14.dxeS tlJxeS l 5.'i¥e2 tLlc4 1 6 .b3 �c3 1 7. .!:i.bl eS 1 8 .'iVd3! �el 1 9.'i¥e2? (1 9.�xc8!+-) 1 9... �c3 20.'iVd3 1/2- 1/2 Moroz­ Moskalenko, Marganets 1 999; B) 9... �e7!? leaves the white king on its original square: 10.�h3 (10.\t>f2 gS!? as in the main game) 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .\t>fl

analysis diagram

l l ...f6 (1 1 ...tlJb4!?; 1 1 ...fS!? is always a solid option) 1 2.\t>g2 \t>h8 1 3 .b3 aS 14.a4 fs 1 5 .tLle2 tt:Jb4 16.�e3 tlJb8! 1 7.g4 �d7 (1 7 ... fxg4!? 1 8 . �xg4 �d7 with the idea of either ... �e8-g6! or ... tt:Jbc6-d8-f7-h6!) 18 . .l:i.gl tLl8a6 1 9.\t>hl .!:i.ac8+z and Black has a strong posi­ tion, Adams-Illescas Cordoba, Yerevan Olympiad 1 996. 1 0. 'iti>f2

A Pawn Wedge: 5.f4

i. .i.. • i. ii � iii 'it' � i i8 .i.. 8 8 Cf'J 8 88 � 8 : ii.iV ii, Cjj �

i. .i.. ii ii � 'it' � i i i8 .i.. 8 8 Cjj 8 ii. �8 Cjj � analysis diagram

-

Now Black must start tactics with the help of his foot soldiers. 1 0 . . gS!? An important resource invented by the American IM Edward Formanek. Nowadays, this fantastic idea has been transferred to the Classical Variation 3 .tlJc3 tlJf6 (see the famous games by Alexander Morozevich in Part Three). Starting the counterattack with the other pawn is insufficient: 1 0 .. .f6 l l .g2! (1 1 .�h3? fxeS 12.fxeS tlJdxeS!) 1 1 ...0-0 1 2 .M!? (1 2.�d3! is also possi­ ble: 1 2 ... �e7 1 3.tlJe2±) 12 ... .!:i.f? 1 3 . �d3 tlJf8 14.a3 �e7 1 5 .b4 �d7 1 6.tlJe2±, White dominates the board, Boleslavsky­ Laurine, Stockholm 1 963/64. 1 1 .h3 A defence against ... g5-g4!. Other critical replies are: A) 1 1 .fxgS!? tLldxeS 12.tLlxeS tlJxeS 1 3.\t>g2 tLlc6 14.tlJf3 �f8! .

i. .i.. ii 'it' � •

i.

• .i.. i i i 8

i

8

analysis diagram

135

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0id2 1 5 .b3 il!.g7 16.Ab2 �d7 1 7. .l:f.cl h6! 1 8.�d2oo �b4 1 9. il!.c3 �e7 20.g6 fxg6 2 1 . il!.d3 0-0oo P.Neuman-Kulhanek, Czechia 2004; B) l 1 . Ah3!? h5 (1 1 ...il!.e7!? is still pos­ sible) l 2.fxg5 tlJdxe5 1 3.tlJxe5 tt:Jxe5 14.@g2 tlJg6 (14 ... tlJg4!? Vartapetyan­ Moskalenko, Yalta 1 996) 1 5.tlJf3 �d6� Jadvizhena-T.Kononenko, Kiev 1 998; C) A very interesting position arises after 1 1 . �e3

analysis diagram

l l ...f6 (with l l ...g4 Black has a very good score: 12.tlJd2 h5 1 3 .h3 h4!�) 12.�h3 gxf4 (12 ... 0-0oo) 1 3.gxf4 fxe5 14.fxe5 tLJf8� with the idea 15.tLJg5 �e7!N. 1 1 ... gxf4 l l ...f6!?� is quite similar. 1 2. hf4 The development of the pieces is a natural concept. f � l PLAN: In the event of 1 2 .gxf4, �ig' supporting the centre, Black continues to bomb the 'Pawn Wedge" 1 2 .. .f6! 1 3 . Ae3 Ae7 (13 .. .fxe5!? l 4.fxe5 tlJf8 is a similar plan) 14.�d2 tLJf8! preparing queen­ side castling: 1 5. il!.d3 (or 1 5 .h4 il!.d7 16.exf6 Axf6 1 7.tlJe5 �xe5 1 8.fxe5 tlJg6 1 9.tLJf3 0-0-0� Langier-Dgebuadze, Roque Saenz Pena 1997) 15 ... il!.d7 16.tlJe2 0-0-0 1 7.l::tacl @b8 1 8.tlJc3 fxe5 1 9.fxe5 tlJg6+ with clear counter1 36

play on all parts of the board, Vasiukov-M.Gurevich, Moscow 1987. 1 2 .. .f6 1 3. �g2

The king's fianchetto has been success­ fully carried out. 1 3... �fa This counter-argument was my home preparation. However, other options are also interesting: A) 13 ... Ae7!? 14.b3 fxe5 1 5.tt:Jxe5 (15. dxe5 tlJc5�) 15 ...tLJdxe5 16.dxeS �d7 1 7.�hs+ @d8+ Buchholz-Frohne, Germany tt 1 995/96; B) Or first 13 .. .fxeS!? 14.tlJxe5 (14.dxe5 �e7�) 14 ... tt:Jdxe5 1 5.dxe5 il!.d7� with a 0-4 score for Black. 1 4.:lb1 14.J:lh2 �g7 1 5.@hl 0-0 16.il!.d3 fxe5 1 7.dxe5 tlJcS 1 8 . �xh7+ @xh7 1 9.tlJg5+ 'it>g8 20.�h5 �f5= Borge-Laptev, Gyor 1 990. 14 ... ..tg7 1 5.i..d 3 0-0!

.i .t .t. .t. � .t .t. � � .t. l .t. 8 8 Ji,, Ji,, Cjj 8 8 � Cjj :g

Chapter 1 1 Black is well prepared for the tough fight ahead. The wedge will soon dissolve. 1 6.exf6 1 6.�c2 h6!?. 1 6 ... tbxf6 1 7. i..d 6 l 7.lLle2 lLlb4!?; 1 7.a3 lLle4 1 8.lLle2 eS!. 1 7... .J:[d8 1 8.i..c5 'ii'c7 1 9. 0.e2 0.e4! 20 . .ia3 e5!t The culmination of Black's strategy.

21 .dxe5 tbxe5 22.tbxe5 he5! 23 . .J:[c1 'ifb6 24. 'ii'g 1 'ifh6 24 ... �g6!? 25 .�e3 �fst. 25. .J:[c2 Or, for instance, 25.�xe4 dxe4 26.�cS �gs+. 25 ... i..f5 This seems like a strong move. 25 ... b6!?t; 25 ... �e6!?+.

-

A Pawn Wedge: 5 . f4

26.g4 'ii'g 7! Another good continuation was 26 ...WhS!? with the idea 27. �cS d4! and Black is winning. 27.'We3 :ea 27... hS!+. 28. 'Wf3 i..d 7 29.lllf4 i..c6 30.lllh5D 'ifh6 31 .h4?

31 ... @hB?T Too slow. The correct move was 3 1 .. . .l:f.f8 ! 32.�xf8 .l:rxf8 with a decisive advan­ tage. 32.g5 .J:[g8? 32 ...�e6!. hg3 33.lllg 3! 'ii'g 6 34. .:.e1 35. 'Wxg3 tbxg3 36.i..xg6 hxg6 37.xg3 J:.ge8 Draw agreed. A really interesting and dramatic game.

Summary of the 'Pawn Wedge' S I 6. f4 In any database you can find almost 5000 games with this scheme. I offer four model games (3 1 -34), which contain (almost) all the important themes for both sides. Enjoy these complicated positions and the sometimes quite bizarre play! -

General Conclusion to Chapters 7 - 1 1 Beyond Tarrasch (3.<1.Jd2 <1.Jf6) In my opinion, the main dilemma for both sides in this complex opening is the choice between solid but passive positions on the one hand, and attacking ideas that force the player to take extreme risks on the other. Grandmaster Psakhis, in his book The Complete French, says about 3 ... <1.Jf6!?: 'A sharp and complex variation, which has had, still has, and I am sure always will have, its supporters. Black provokes the advance e4-e5 and thereby permits his opponent to create a powerful pawn centre. If White succeeds in consolidating this centre, the advantage will be on his side; if not, the consequences for him may be truly catastrophic.' -

137

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0.d2

Exotic Deviations If the ideas mentioned in Chapters 7-1 1 were not enough for you, we will present in Chapters 1 2 and 13 a brief update of some very special variations against 3. ti:Jd 2. Let's leave the closed battles aside and open the game up! Directions/Ideas Chapter 1 2 : 1.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ti:Jd2 .2.e7!? (Games 35-40) Chapter 1 3 : 1.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ti:Jd2 cS 4.exdS '/WxdS!? (Games 41-45) In general, players use these variations to avoid their opponents' home preparation. However, some 'exotic' lines have grown to be so popular that they have become main weapons!

English grandmaster Michael Adams (born 1 9 7 1 ) . A great expert on the 3 . ti:ld 2 variation with the white pieces and a 'Terminator' in exotic lines.

138

Chapter 12

-

Romanishin Variation

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.llJd2 �e7!?

3 ... i.e7 is an asymmetrical response! Although it is rather a poker-style waiting move. History Ukrainian GM Oleg Romanishin (born 19 52) is a specialist in exotic variations in all kinds of openings. In the mid-1 970s he rediscovered 3 ... £.e7. The French with 3 . . . £.e7 ! ? is Alexander Morozevich's main weapon against l .e4. Everybody knows this well in advance before the game, but no one has been able to claim a serious opening advantage against him here. The Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi (born 1 990) is a new generator of ideas, for and against the French Defence. The young Russian star does not mind repeating the move 3 . . . i.e7 against any player (Games 3 7 and 3 9 ) . Nowadays it is very fashionable, because of its peculiarity, but also thanks to the sup­ port given to it by grandmasters Romanishin in the 1 9 7 0s, Rainer Knaak in the 1 98 0s, and more recently Morozevich, Lputi­ an, Radjabov, Pert and Nepomniachtchi. They have enriched the line with new and unusual ideas. Grandmaster Lev Psakhis writes : 'The main idea of 3 . . . £.e 7 is that Black first wants to see what plan White will adopt, befo­ re deciding on a corresponding course of action. Another point of some significance is that in this line Black avoids the numerous exchanges that can occur following 3 . . . cS .' Author's note: But the tempo spent is Oleg Romanishin. very important here. White must try to take advantage of this. 139

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 Grandmaster Julen Luis Arizmendi Martinez writes: 'This variation is becoming popular nowadays, but it was Romanishin, back in the seventies, who first began to use it frequently. The main idea behind 3 ... ge7 is to wait and see White's piece setting, and react accordingly, while having developed the bishop (admittedly not to such an active square, but a normal one in the French). Thus after 4.tllgf3 tllf6 5.eS tllfd7 we reach a Tarrasch with the knight on f3, something which is not to everyone's liking. Or 4.c3 cS 5.dxcS �xcS 6.exdS exdS, which leads us to a normal 3 ...cS Tarrasch where White has committed himself to an early c2-c3 , which is not considered to be dangerous for Black at all. I guess 4.eS cS 5.�g4 is the most "prin­ cipled" variation, but Black has scored quite OK with Morozevich's 5 ... Wf8, making use of White's misplaced queen to develop a quick initiative.' Author's note: I am sure that the most critical positions arise after the flexible move 4. gd3 ! ?. On the other hand, many positions in the 3 . . . �e7 variation can be defended thanks to unexpected tactical resources!

-=:- statistics with 3 ... �e7 Total (year 2008) 2812 games: l - 0=963, 0-1=816, 0.5=1033. New (update 2014) : 5590 games: 1 - 0 = 1 93 1 , 0-1=1697, 0.5=1 960 Line 4.tllg f3=1 062 games=52.3% (year 2008). New: 2230=5 1 . 6% Line 4.�d3= 1 037 games=53.2% (year 2008). New: 1 936=52.2% There are some transpositions between the two moves tllf3 and �d3. Line 4.e5=343 games=54.7% (year 2008). New: 67 1=54,7% Line 4.c3=3 1 8 games=S0.9% (year 2008). New: 653=5 1 ,8%. White Terminators Michael Adams: total 27 games=72.2% 4.tllgf3= 1 1 games=81 .8%, 4.gd3= 8 games=75%, 4.eS= 7 games=57. 1%, 4.c3= 1 game=50%. Peter Svidler: 7 games=S0% 4.�d3= 3 games=50%, 4.eS= 2 games=50%, 4.tllgf3= 1 game=50%, 4.c3= 1 game=50%. Sergey Tiviakov: 1 7 games=79.4% 4.c3= 9 game=72.2%, 4.�d3= 8 games=87.5%. Vasilios Kotronias: 13 games=69.2% 4.�d3= 12 games=66.7%, 4.eS 1 game=1 00%. Black Heroes Oleg Romanishin: total 7 games=50%. Rainer Knaak: 1 7=35.3%. Smbat Lputian: 30=65%. Alexander Morozevich: 23=60.9%. Teimour Radjabov: 8=56.3%. Ian Nepomniachtchi: 23=63%. Nicholas Pert: 29=44.8%. Yannick Pelletier: 1 6=50%. The Most Interesting Novelties These novelties will be examined in the main lines. First, playing with the pawns: • 4.e5 - an 'ambitious' line, Game 35: Adams-Morozevich. • 4.c3 a 'discreet-modest' line, Game 36: Onischuk-Morozevich. -

1 40

Chapter 1 2

-

Romanishin Variation: 3 ... j;_e7

And two different moves with pieces that merit serious attention are: • 4.tt:lgf3 the most natural move, Game 37: Andriasyan-Nepomniachtchi. 4.�d3 this move is more flexible. The idea is 4...cS S.dxcS tLlf6 6.�e2. -

•

-

This popular set-up is perhaps the most dangerous for Black. Game 38: Efimenko-Vovk. Here we examine the strength of the solid classical coun­ terplan of 6 ... 0-0, 7... a5!?, 8 ...tt:la6 followed by recovering the pawn on c5. But there are also other interesting ideas on moves 4-6. Game 39: Kotronias-Nepomniachtchi. In this game, Black followed in the footsteps of Romanishin and Morozevich with the manoeuvre ...tt:lc6-b4.

With many possibilities after 8 .tt:lb3 (or 8.e5), as is shown in the notes. In Game 40: Cheparinov-Riazantsev, White played 8.0-0!? with the idea of exploit­ ing his lead in development and the active placing of the white pieces.

What are the possibilities after White's castling? This has the appearance of being a positional refutation of the manoeuvre ...tLlc6-tLlb4 (Games 39 and 40). 141

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . ttJd2

Romanishin Variation - Games GAME 35 Michael Adams (27 1 6) Alexander Morozevich (2723) Sarajevo 1 999 (5)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 Michael Adams is one of the leading experts on the French Defence for the white side. Strangely enough, he gets ex­ cellent results playing this modest move. 3 ... i.e7

Playing hide-and-seek! This is Morozevich's main weapon against 3 .ttJd2. 4.e5 White chooses an ambitious but risky line. This has been the main move in the sharpest encounters between Adams and Morozevich. PUZZLE: However, we have now reached a position typical of the Advance Variation with the ex­ tra moves 3 .tlJd2 fie?. I am sure that this favours Black, since the g8-knight is more flexible on its original square (...tlJh6tlJf5), whereas it is hard for the knight on d2 to find a way out. For 4.c3, see Game 36; for 4.tlJgf3, see Game 37; for 4.�d3, see Games 3 8 and 39. The attacking idea 4.�g4 fails after, for instance, 4 ... t2Jf6! S.�xg7 .l:i.g8 6.�h6 dxe4 7.�e3 �dS (7 ... tt:Jc6!?N) 8 .tlJe2

tlJc6 9.tlJc3?! (9.a3 b6!?) 9...�xd4 1 0.tt:ldxe4 tt:Jxe4 1 1 .tt:lxe4 �d7 with the initiative for Black, Heredia Serrano-Kantor, Budapest 201 1 . 4 ...c5! The first move that must be studied. The second is 4...tlJh6 S.tlJdf3 tt:Jfs 6.!lid3 cS 7.dxcS fixes 8 .tlJh3 tlJc6 9.0-0 tlJh4+:t Glek-Farago, Porto San Giorgo 2003. 5.'i!fg4 This idea from the Winawer Variation is not a panacea for the entire French!

,,,.... WEAPON: A powerful demon­ stration of Black's possibilities is S.dxcS t2Jc6 6.t2Jgf3 �xcS 7.tlJb3 �b6 8 . �d3 f6!.

*

1 42

t2J §l. t2J 888 888 .: §l. iV � .: analysis diagram

The critical moment in this line. The battle for the strategic eS-point begins. 9.�e2 fxeS 1 0.tlJxeS tlJf6 (1 0 ... tLixeS!? 1 1 .�xeS t2Jf6+:t is an easier way. There is also room for creativity: 1 O ...�f6 1 1 .tlJg4 �e7oo) 1 1 .0-0 ( 1 1 . �bS? 0-0!) 1 1 ...tlJxeS!

Chapter 1 2 - Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . §le? 1 2 .'li'xeS 0-0 1 3 . ..ags. This inaccuracy has tragic consequences, since Black gets a chance to develop a dangerous initia­ tive: 13 ... ..ac?! 14.'li'd4 h6 (immediately 14 ... eS! was better) 1 S . ..ah4 eS!t.

Ee i � i ttJ 888 :s

Khamrakulov-Lopez Martinez, Ayamonte ch-ESP 2007. A) We can also check 5 ... g6 6.dxcS tLlh6 7.�h3 ttJfs 8.tLlgf3 tLlc6oo Drozdowski-Pacher, Groningen 2012; B) 5 ...gS

ii Ni' �

analysis diagram

After succeeding in playing this impor­ tant advance, Black clearly has a com­ fortable position, Adams-Morozevich, Dortmund 2001 . tfl-- WEAPON: In the event of 5.c3 tLlc6 6.tLlgf3 cxd4 7.cxd4 tLlh6 8 . �d3 ttJfs 9.tLlb3 aS! 1 0.a4 tLlb4+:t Black gets good chances.

5 'itf8!? Black loses the right to castle, but White's central pawn chain is about to fall apart. The text is preferable to ... g7-g6, in order not to weaken the dark squares. Practical results in master tournaments confirm this point of view. But it is not the only reasonable move here: tfl-- WEAPON: 5 ... §l.f8!? - dancing with the genie! In the Winawer, ... �f8-b4-f8 is a typical manoeuvre. All the pieces on the last rank are ready to reload! For example: 6.dxcS (6.tLldf3 tLlc6 7.dxcS �c7 8 .�g3 tLlge7+:t Adams-Kristjansson, Reykjavik 2003) 6 ...�c7 7.tLlgf3 tLld7 8 .tLlb3 tLlxeS 9.tLlxeS �xeS+ 1 0.§l.e3 §l.d7 1 1 .0-0-0 tLlf6+:t ...

analysis diagram

The most creative move and a typical ad­ vance in this line. 6.dxcS (it is interesting to look for a refutation with 6.�hS!?, the queen will block the kingside) 6 ... hS! (I love irrational positions!) 7. ..abs+ _ad? 8.�e2 �c7 9.tLlb3 ..axbS 10.'li'xbs+ tLlc6 (1 0 ...tLld7!?) l l .f4 0-0-0!.

9 .i � .I i i 'i¥ � i � i 'i¥ 8 i 8 i i 8

analysis diagram

This position was the setting for another one of Morozevich's popular hits: 1 2.tLlf3 g4 1 3.tLlfd4 tLlxd4 14.tLlxd4 .axes 1 S . ..ae3 ..axd4 1 6 . ..axd4 'it>b8 1 7.§l.cs 'it>a8 1 8 . �d6?! �xc2 19.0-0 .l:lc8 20.fS tLlh6 2 1 . l:rf2 �e4 22.fxe6 fxe6 23.�afl h4 24.'iWd7 'li'd4! 25.g3 hxg3 26.hxg3 tLlfS 27.�xe6 tLlxg3 0-1 Adams­ Morozevich, Frankfurt (rapid) 1 999. 1 43

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tl'id2

6.dxcs

.l � .i. 'i!V · � .I ll '..i! l l l l �l�

Another key moment. 6.c3?! tLlc6 must be good for Black. 6 ... tbc6 The usual move in this position ,_.,,,.. WEAPON: A totally new concept is 6 ...tLld7!?, an important improve­ ment recently played by Nicholas Pert: 7.tLlgf3 (the first game with this fresh line saw 7.tLldf3 tLlxc5 8 .tLlh3 f5!� Ferguson-Pert, England tt 2006/07; recently, 7.°iYg3 tLlh6!� was played in Wei Yi-Lou Yiping, China 201 3) 7... h5

creative French/Benko/Volga idea is 7...b6!? 8 .cxb6 'iYxb6 9.�d3 �a6�): 8.tLlgf3 tLlh6!? 9.tLlb3 (the line 9.�d3 tLlf7 10.exf6 gxf6 1 1 .0-0 e5 12.tLlh4 e4 looks excellent for Black, Nevednichy­ Pelletier, Gothenburg Ech-tt 2005) 9...tLlfS lO.°iYf4 g5!? l l .°iYd2 tLlxe5 1 2.tLlxeS fxeS and Black's pawn structure is stronger than the Great Wall of China, Wang Yu­ Lputian, Beer-Sheva Wch-tt 2005; B) 7.tLldf3 is not very successful: 7... �xc5!? (7.. .f6) 8.�d3 f6 9.°iYg3 fxe5 1 0.tLlxeS tLlxe5 1 1 .°iYxeS tLlf6 1 2 . �gS �d6 1 3.°iYe2 eS� ]. Armas-Knaak, Cienfuegos 1 980. 7 ... hS!? Morozevich prefers to play with pawns. 8.'Wg3 h4! An incredible Internet blitz game went s ...tLlh6!? 9.�d3 (9.tLlb3 tLifs 1 0.'iff4 f6 l 1 .h3oo Kotronias-Markidis, Vrachati 2014) 9 ... h4 l O.°iYf4 g5! l l .°iYe3 tLlfs (1 1 ...tLlg4!) 1 2 . �xfS exfS 1 3.tLlb3 f4 14.°iYc3 h3 1 5 .g3 d4! 1 6.tLlfxd4 'iYds Zhang Zhong-Shipov, ICC 2007. 9.'Wf4 gS!

analysis diagram

8.°iYg3 (8.°iYf4 g5! Danov-Vlashki, Sunny Beach 2013) 8 ... h4 (8 ...tLlxc5=) 9.°iYf4 gS!� with an irrational position, Gormally-Pert, Hastings 2007 /08 . 7.tllgf3 A logical response. A) On the other hand, the recently played 7.'iWg3 and then 7 .. .f6!, is also critical and more tempting (a new, 1 44

The key to Black's counterplay. 1 0.'Wa4 Against 1 0.'i¥e3 it would be interesting to continue playing with the pawns: 10 ... d4!? (1 0 ...tLlh6 is the normal move here) l 1 .'i¥e4 f5! 12.exf6 tLlxf6 1 3.°iYd3 g4! 14.tLlgS 'i¥d5 1 5.tLlde4 tLlb4! 1 6.iY'e2 tLlxe4 1 7.tLlxe4 b6!�. Black uses almost all his resources in this line.

Chapter 1 2

1 0 ... �d7! 1 1 . �b5 a6! 1 2. �xcG bc6 1 3. 'ii'd4 ltJh6 ! Now the black pieces find their way out, entirely in harmony with his previous play. 1 4.ltJb3 ltJf5 1 5. 'ii'd 3 d4!t A nice anti-blockade sacrifice. But 1 5 ... �bS!? 1 6 .�c3 llc8 was also inter­ esting.

1 6 . .l:f.g1 'ii'c7! 1 7. ltJfxd4 'ii' xe5+ Normally this central pawn is more im­ portant than the one on cS. 1 a.�e3 'ii'x h2 And this one... 1 9.0-0-0

E 1

E 1 ..t 8

ttJ 'iV �

ttJ 888 �:

-

Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . �e7

22 ... �fG 23.c3 'ii'e4 24. 'ii'e2 �a4 25.b3 �ea 26. @b2 @ga 27.fl.ge1 .l:f.g6 2a. 'ii'f1 'ii'e5 29. 'ii'c4 'ii'c7 30.ltJf3 .:r.ca 31 . 'ii'g 4

..t

• 1 l�E 1 'iV l � tt:J 88 :: 31 ... bG! ? 32.�d4 bd4 33.cxd4 bxc5 Recovering this pawn at last. 33 .. .fS 34.�hS .l:i.g7 35.�h6 .l::i.g 6=. 34.d5 34.tlJeS!? lig7 35.dS fS 36.�e2 exdS=. 34... c4!

E �

..t 1

8 8�

1

8

:: 8 8 '"ii :

1 9 ... ltJxd4?! l 9 ... tt:Jxe3 ! was a better exchange: 20.fxe3 �d8+ with a strong position for Black. 20. 'ii'xd4 .l:f.h6 21 . 'ii' g 4 'ii'e5 2 1 .. .fS was in the spirit of the previous play. 22.ttJd4 As usually happens in the games be­ tween these two players, the final stage is attractive and dramatic.

1

• E 1 'iVJ.

ttJ 88

35. 'ii'xc4 'ii'xc4 36.bxc4 exd5 37.cxd5 .J:r.da 37 ... .i::!.b 6+!? 38.Wal f6+. 3a . .J:r.e5 f6 39 . .t:l.e7 @fa?! 39 ... .l:rg7! 40.klxg7+ 'iitxg7 4 I .tlJd4 \t>f7+. 40.:a1 t5 41 . .l:f.h7 c;;i9 a 42 . .l:f.b7 ..ib5 43 . .l:f.c1 .l:f.g7 44.lhg7+ @xg7 45.ltJxg5 .:.Xd5 46.ltJf3 @16 47.ltJxh4 lid4 4a.ttJf3 .l:f.g4 49.g3 f4 50.ltJh2 .l:[ga 51 . .l:f.c3 fxg3 52 . .:.Xg3 lhg3 53.fxg3 @15 54.@c3 @e4 55.'it>d2 �d7 56.a3 �e6 57. ltJf1 %-% 1 45

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . ttJd2

Summary of 4.eS: The many games mentioned here are a fantastic window display of modern chess, full of resources! After 5.�g4 the most important moves in the opening are those made by the black pawns: ... h7h5, ... g7-g5, .. .f7-f6 and also the knight manoeuvre ...tLlh6-tLlfS . After 6.dxcS Black does not recover this pawn, but looks for tactical possibilities instead.

GAME 36 Alexander Onischuk (2646) Alexander Morozevich (2723) Germany Bundesliga 1 998/99 (8)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 �e7 4.c3

A modest try for technical players. The present game is the most interesting and attractive one played in this line. 4 ... c5!? 4 ... dxe4 (analogous to the Rubinstein Variation) is a good way to equalize: s.<1Jxe4 tLld7 6.tLlf3 tLlgf6 7.tLlxf6+ tLlxf6 8 . �d3 0-0 9.�e2 b6=. 5.dxc5 PUZZLE: 5.eS?! leads to the line with 4.eS cS 5.c3?!, see the com­ ments to the previous game.

•

The other option is 5.exdS. Now we ac­ tually reach a position from one of the main C07 lines (with 3 ... cS 4.exdS), with the inclusion of the moves c2-c3 and ... �f8-e7. 1 46

.i � .t • � .i ii .t i i i i • i8 • 8 • 8 8 8 tLi 8 8 8 a: � 'iY \t) � tLi a: analysis diagram

This difference seems to favour Black slightly, so he should not have any problems in equalizing: 5 ...�xdS (or 5 ... exdS!? 6.dxcS �xcS 7.tLlgf3 tLlf6 8 . �bs+ tllc6 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 .tllb 3 �b6 1 1 .�gS a6 12.�a4 �c7 1 3 .tllbd4 �d6 14.�xf6 'iYxf6 1 5 .�d3 �g4 16.�c2 g6 l 7.h3 �d7 and Black's counterplay compensates for his isolated pawn on dS, Drabke-Fluvia Poyatos, Oropesa del Mar jr 2000) 6.dxcS (6.tllgf3 cxd4 7.�c4 �hS 8 .tllxd4 �xdl+ 9.\t>xdl Khamrakulov-Caruana, Dos Hermanas 2006) 6 ...�xcS 7.tlle4 �c6 8 . �d3 tlld 7 9.tllf3 tLlgf6 10.�e2 tllxe4 l l . �xe4 �c7 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3.a4 tllf6 14.�c2 b6 1 5 . �gS �b7= Dvoirys-Morozevich, Samara 1 998. 5 ... hc5

8 8 8 tLi 8 8 8 a: �'iY � � tl'i S: 6.ttJgf3 6.tllb 3 �b6 7.exdS (7.eS is very similar to the line played by the same contestants in Game 35: 7... tllc6 8 .tllf3

Chapter 12 f6<=t Adams-Morozevich, Cannes (rapid) 200 1) 7...exdS.

Cjj 8 888 88 l::l � 'iY � � Cjj l::l analysis diagram

With typical play revolving around the isolated pawn: 8.tllf3 (8.�bS+ tllc6 9.tllf3 tllf6 1 o.'ti'e2+ tlle4 l l.�e3 0-0= 1 2.0-0-0? �fs 1 3 .tllfd4 �g6 14.f3 tllxd4 1 5 .tllxd4 tlld6+ Tiviakov-Rapport, Wijk aan Zee 2013) 8 ...tllf6 9. .ie2 0-0 10.0-0 tllc6 l 1 .tllfd4 (1 1 . .if4?! l:[e8 1 2.h3 tlle4f Malakhov-Morozevich, Moscow blitz 2014; 1 1 .�gS?! .l::i.e 8 12.�h4 h6 1 3 . .i:f.el gS! 14.�g3 tlle4 15.tllfd4 'ti'f6t Smeets­ Shipov, Internet ICC 2005) l l ....l::i.e 8 12.�e3 tlle s 13 . .!d.el h6 14.'1Wc2 .id? 15 . .i::radl 'tic?+, Black is more active, Tiviakov-Kasimdzhanov, Kerner tt 2007. 6 ... tlJf6

.I � .t 'if 9 il ii i� .t i 8 8 Cjj 8 £::, Cjj 8 8 l::l � � � �

.I i

8 l::l

7.e5!? This advance always leads to sharp and double-edged positions. 7.�d3 dxe4 8.tllxe4 tllxe4 9.'ti'a4+D �d7 I O.ifxe4 .ic6 l l .'1We2 tlld 7 12.0-0 as 1 3 . .i:f.dl 'tic? 14.b4 .ie7 1 5.�b2= Svidler-Shipov, Moscow (blitz) 2006.

-

Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . .ie7

7 ... 'ifb6! � TRICK: 7...tllg 4?? loses the knight W after 8 .'ti'a4+. 8.tlJd4 tlJfd7 9. 'i\Vg4 A provocative manoeuvre. 9.tll2f3 tllc 6<=t. 9 ... 0-0! Thanks to his lead in development, Black soon obtains a dangerous initiative after preparing an exchange sacrifice. 1 0.tlJ2f3 tlJc6! 1 1 . i.h6 g6 1 2.0-0-0 12 . .ixf8? 'ti'xb2!. 1 2 ... tlJdxeS 1 3. 'iff4 f6! 1 4. hfB hfB 1 5. 'ii'xf6 tlJg4! 1 6. 'ii' h 4 e5!

i .t ii 'if �

88

8

.t •

i

.i ii Cjj

� l::l The attacking machine is turned on, but tactical mistakes are also about to appear. 1 7.tlJgS? TRICK: 1 7.h30 �e7 1 8 .tllg SD h6!? 1 9.tll d f3D tll d 4!! with many tactical possibilities for Black. 1 7... hS! 1 8.tlJdf3 .tfS? Too optimistic. 1 8 ...tllxf2? was weak in view of 1 9. .i:f.xdS! tllx hl 20.'ti'c4!f. But 18 ... tlle 7!, defending and attacking at the same time, and intending ...tllfS and ...'ti'h4, would have won tactically: 19 . .id3 .ih6! 20.wb1 �fs-+. 1 9 . .:XdS Suddenly White is back in the game. 1 9 ... tlJb4 20. i.c4! 'Ot>g7? Another serious mistake. Black should have played 20 ...tllxdS , with a compli­ cated position. 2 1 . l:f.hd1 ? 2 1 .tlld 4!; 2 1 . .l:.xeS!?. 21 ... tlJxdS 22 . .:XdS l:f.cB 22 ... .icS! .

t(

1 47

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0.d2

23.ltJxeS Ji...e7

24. Ji...d 3? 24.�b3 was the only move to keep the balance in this complex position. 24... 'ifxf2?? 24... .rf.d8 ! !+. 1 -0 25.0e6+! �h6? Not waiting for 26.tllxg4+ �xg4 27.'iYxf2, winning the queen. Another sharp and dramatic game by Morozevich.

Summary of 4.c3:

A natural and therefore popular devel­ opment of the knight, but it does not grant any advantage. 4... ttJf6!? Black does not have a great deal of choice, since, for example, 4 ...tllc 6 5.c3!? dxe4 6.tllxe4 tllf6 7.�d3;;!;, and also 4 ... cS S.exdS exdS 6.dxcS tllf6 7.tllb 3 0-0 8 . .,te3 ;;!; are both better for White. 5.e5 White closes the centre. An alternative to keep the position open would be S . �d3!? cS (5 ...b6 is too hasty, but there is always a way out: 5 ... dxe4!?) 6.exdS (Black seems OK after 6.dxcS dxe4 (simplest) 7.tllxe4 tllxe4 8 . �xe4 �xdl+ 9.Wxdl �xcS 1 0 .@e2 tlld 7 1 1 .l:!d l tllf6 1 2 . �d3 0-0 1 3 .tlle s b6= Kobalia-Morozevich, Elista Olympiad 1 998; and 6.eS tllfd7 transposes into the main game) 6 ...'l!!fx dS!?.

This move is not especially useful in these lines. The game is still very bal­ anced. If White pushes e4-e5, the arising positions are very similar to those of the Advance Variation with 4.eS; the extra move tlld 2 is not very appropriate here.

GAME 37 Zaven Andriasyan (2523) Ian Nepomniachtchi (2602) Kirishi 2007 (6)

1 .e4 es 2.d4 d5 3.ttJd2 Ji...e7!? 4.ttJgf3

1 48

analysis diagram

Activating the queen as in the 'Scan­ dinavian Hybrid'. This is also a posi­ tion from a main C07 line, this time with the inclusion of the moves .,td3 and ... .,te7. This difference also seems to slightly favour Black. (6 ... exdS and 6 ...tllxdS are also sufficient options) 7.dxcS tllb d7 (7...'iYxcS!? 8.0-0 tllb d7 9.a3 �cl 10.'l!!fe2 b6= Almagro Llamas­ Moskalenko, Spain tt 2013) 8.b4 (trying to get something out of nothing. The usual variation is 8.tllb 3 0-0 9.0-0 tllxcS 10.tllxcS 'l!!fx cS 1 1 . .,te3 'l!!fc 7 12 . .,td4

Chapter 12 - Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . Jie7 b6 with equal chances, Janev-Pelletier, Lille 2013) 8 ... aS and Black will obtain satisfactory counterplay: 9.gc4 'ii' h s 10.c3 tt:ldS l l . 1ixd5 'ii'xdS � Kholmov­ Morozevich, Omsk/Perm 1 998. 5 . ttJfd7 S ... tt:le4?! is insufficient: 6 . gd3 tt:lxd2 7.gxd2 0-0?! (if 7... cS 8.dxcS!;;!;; or 7... b6 8 .b4!?;;!;) 8.h4! with a nice attack, Chandler-Short, Brighton 1 98 1 .

tt:lc6 9.0-0 cxd4 10.�e l tt:lcs� Godena­ Caruana, Cremona ch-ITA play-off 2006. 6 cs 7.c3 ...

..

7. . b6!? An excellent idea in this position, trying to return to the exchange plan gc8x­ gfl (Games 29 and 30), where f3 is not the best square for the knight. 7...tt:lc6 transposes into C06, see the line in Game 27. In the same chapter (9) we studied a different position on the theme 'Fianchetto versus Symmetry' - with the pawn on g6 and the bishop on f8. 8.0-0 t'fl*- WEAPON: The only move to take advantage of White's temporary lead in development is 8 .tt:le4!?. .

6 .td3 6.c3 cS 7.gd3 b6 transposes to the game. The advance 6.c4 is rather ambitious: 6 ... cS (6 ... dxc4!?) 7.cxdS exdS 8.gd3 .

analysis diagram

The talented Ian Nepomniachtchi (born 1 990) is a new generator of ideas, for and against the French Defence. His score with black in the 3 . . . �e7 line is 63%.

Going for tactics! 8 ... ga6 (8 ...'Yi'c7!? 9.tt:lg3 1ia6 with a lot of play for both sides, Bergauz-Jurek, Schwabisch Gmund 2014) 9.�xa6 tt:lxa6 10.tt:ld6+ (1 0.tt:lg3 !? cxd4 l l .cxd4 �c8 12.0-0 0-0oo Bauer-Sharif, France tt 2002) 1 0 ... gxd6 1 49

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlld2 l 1 .exd6 0-0 1 2 . .2.f4 tt:'if6 1 3.0-0oo - the pawn on d6 can be powerful or weak, Josse-Smerdon, Daventry (rapid) 20 14. Or perhaps 8 .�e2 aS (8 ... tt:'ic6!?) 9.0-0 (9.c4 .2.a6! Demianiuk-Nepomniachtchi, Tomsk 2006) 9... .2.a6 1 0.c4 tt:'ic6!+:t Sutovsky-Arizmendi Martinez, Legnica Ech 201 3 . 8. . . h6 Recently, 8 ... aS 9. .l::i.e l .2.a6 1 0 . .2.xa6 tt:'ixa6 1 1 .tt:'ifl bS+:t was seen in Movsesian-Nepomniachtchi, Khanty­ Mansiysk (blitz) 2013. 9. �xa6 9.c4?! cxd4 1 0 . .2.bl (10.tt:'ixd4? tt:'ixeS+ Fluvia Poyatos-Moskalenko, Montcada 2008) 10. ..tt:Jc6 1 1.cxdS exdS l 2J1el lLicS+:t. 9... tbxa6

1 0.l:.e1 PUZZLE: 1 0.�e2 would trans­ pose into Chapter 1 0 , Game 30, Khamrakulov-Moskalenko. 1 0 ... bS A) 1 0 ... 0-0 probably equalizes, but Black keeps playing hide-and-seek; B) Or immediately 1 0 ...c4 l l .b3 bS 1 2.a4 MD 1 3.bxc4 bxc3 14.tt:'ibl dxc4 1 5.tt:'ixc3 0 - 0 16.aS tt:'ib4+:t. 1 1 .'fie2 If l l .a4 b4 1 2.c4 tt:'ic7 1 3 .b3 0-0 14 . .2.b2= there is no way to make progress: 14 ... dxc4!? 1 5.tt:'ixc4 tt:'ids 16.ncl .i::rc 8 1 7.�e2 �cl 1 8.ned l .l:tfd8 1 9.�e4 �b8 20.h4 cxd4 2 1 .tt:'ixd4 tt:'ics 22.�g4 �f8 23.�f3 a6 24.hS 1/2-1/2 Andriasyan-B.Socko, Polanica Zdroj 2007.

•

1 50

1 1 ... c4! 1 2.a3 After this move the game heads back to the Labyrinths explained in Chapter 2 , but without the light-squared bishops. 1 2 .b3 tt:'ic7=. 12 ... ta:7 1 3. lt:Jf1 lt:Jb6 1 4.g3 h6 1 5.h4 @d7!?

E 'it' � • .t l l l ' � l 18 18 8 8 8 Jd � l

This is the ideal square for Black's king, while the queen travels to h7: ...'fig8-h7. 1 6.llJ3h2 'figB 1 7.tt:Jd2 'fih7 1 8.b3 cxb3 1 9.tbxb3 l:.hcB 20.l:.d1 h3 lllcb6 40. �d2 'fic6 41 .lllce3 lllc4 42.f4 tbxa3 43.g4 b4 44.cxb4 axb4 45.fS 'fibs-+

E E

• 1J l l l l 188 88 8 � Jd � �Vi' ttJ

Black wins after a few tactical skirmishes.

Chapter 1 2

Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . il.e7

-

46.f6 b3! 47.:Xa3 ba3 4a.fxg7+ xg7 49.lLif5+ @fa 50. 'ife3 exf5 51 . 'ifxhS+ @ea 52. l:l.f3 'ife2 53. :Xf5 'ifxd1 0-1 A very instructive game by the talented Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Summary of 4.lLigf3 : This is the normal continuation. White is not trying to refute Black's system, and his only aim is to gain a slight space advantage and play on from there. Although natural, this does not seem dangerous for Black. GAME 38 Zahar Efimenko (2689) Yury Vovk (2562) Kiev ch·UKR 2012 ( 1 1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLid2 1Le7 4. 1l..d 3

analysis diagram

6 . il.e2 dxe4 7.lLlxe4 lLlf6 8.lLlxf6+ �xf6 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 .c3 ltJd5 l 1 . il.d3. Black's position is temporarily passive, Radulov­ Romanishin, Leningrad 1977; 14 games in MegaBase; B) 4...dxe4 follows the same idea as in the 3 ... dxe4 Rubinstein Variation (or also the Petroff Defence): Black tries to equalize without allowing any weak­ nesses: 5.lLlxe4 ltJd7 6.lLlf3 lLlgf6 7.'fie2.

i. i. .t tv • l .t. .t. � .t .t. .t. .t. .t. � •

b tjj � Cjj b b b 'il b b b :s � � :s •

Another popular set-up, which is prob­ ably more flexible and more dangerous for Black. The difference with 4.lLlgf3 is that the text move allows �e2 at a favourable moment. 4. . c5! The most dynamic response. A) Romanishin's original idea was 4 ... lLlc6, but this manoeuvre is some­ what slow: 5.lLlgf3 (now 5.c3 can be met by 5 ... dxe4! 6.lLlxe4 e5!, which is fine for Black) 5 ...lLlb4!?. Later Morozevich used this resource in a more sensible set-up. See the comments to move 7 in the next game. .

analysis diagram

Preparing to castle queenside. 7... c5 8 .lLlxf6+ lLixf6 9.�e3 0-0 1 0.dxc5 ltJd5 1 1 .0-0-0 'iYa5 1 2 .�bl lLixe3 1 3 .'ftxe3 �xc5= Navara-Shirov, Prague (blitz match) 2005; C) Finally, 4...lLlf6?! is more appropriate in the French, but after 5.e5 lLlfd7 we reach the usual position we have seen in Chapters 7-1 1 , with the added move ... �e7 which does not seem useful here: 6.�g4!? must favour White, though this position is quite new in practice. 5.dxc5 151

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0J2 The logical continuation (after ... .2.e7) and also the main one. PUZZLE: 5.exd5 is nothing to worry about: 5 ...�xd5! 6.tLlgf3 is similar to the next chapter (3 .. c5 4.exd5 �xd5!?), but after 6 .. cxd4! ...

...

.

.

• � :i .t i i i i 'if • i jL t2J 8 8 8 liJ 8 8 8 : : jL 'lj' � analysis diagram

... we arrive in a theoretical variation with the extra moves .2.d3 and ... £.e7. This should favour Black, since White's normal move, with the bishop on fl , would be .2.c4. Now that would mean the loss of a tempo. 5 ... tl:Jf6 Black prefers to develop. After the solid move 5 ... tLld7 he has to reckon with 6.b4!? (after 6.exd5 exd5 7.tLlb3 tLlxc5 White has no advantage at all, Adams-Lputian, Manila Interzonal 1 990) 6 ... a5 7. .2.b2! ii.f6 8.ii.xf6 �xf6 9.tLlgf3 axb4 1 0.exdS exd5 1 1 .0-0 tLle7 l 2.tLlb3 0-0= Wolff-Lputian, Tilburg rapid 1 992. 6 ...e2!

This possibility is the difference be­ tween 4. .2.d3 and 4.tLlgf3. In this position, the older, but more solid theoretical line is: 6 . 0-0!? Black is not in a hurry to take on c5, but he prepares to capture the pawn with his queen's knight. 6 ...tLlc6 is the modern defence, see Games 39 and 40. ..

PUZZLE: It is dubious to change the move order with 6 ... a5 7.tLlgf3 tLla6? (it is remarkable that top players sometimes play the opening so carelessly... 7... 0-0! is the main game - see diagram after move 7) 8 . ii.b5+ Ad7 9.tLle5 tLlxc5 1 0 .tLlxd7 lLlfxd7 1 1 .exdS exd5 with a comfortable advan­ tage, Gelfand-Aronian, Monaco (rapid) 2008. Levon Aronian is a great specialist in the Ruy Lopez, but in the French he is still quite a 'green' participant! :-) 7. tl:Jgf3 a5!

.

8.0-0 The advance 8.e5?! does not seem to dis­ turb the black army: 8 ... tLlfd7 9.h4 h6! 1 0.c3 tLlxc5 l l ..2.c2 and now after 1 1 ... b6!f White is in trouble, since he faces threats such as ... .2.a6!, Davletbaeva­ Aitbaev, Astana ch-KAZ 201 1 . 8 ... tl:Ja6

1 52

Chapter 1 2

-

Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . .2.e7

l 1 .tll2 f3 (1 1 .f4 �b6! 12.tll2f3 .2.d7+:t Kotronias-Barsov, Montreal 2002) 1 1 ...tllxd3 !? 1 2.cxd3 .2.d7 1 3 . .2.e3 a4 14.a3 tllc 5 .

.i i

In the event of ...tllxc5 White's next move is obvious. 9.es Other options are worse: A) 9.exd5 exd5 10 . .l:i.el .l:i.e8 l I .tllb 3 tllxc5 12 . .2.b5 .2.d7= and Black even won in Naiditsch-De la Riva Aguado, Pamplona 2004; B) 9. .l:i.el tllxc5 10.e5 tllfd7 (10 ...tllxd3 !?) 1 1 .tllfl f6 (1 1 ...tllxd3! 12.cxd3 b6+) 12.exf6 .2.xf6= with the same result (0-1), Vega Gutierrez­ Moskalenko, Sabadell 201 1 . 9 tbd7 ...

.i � i

i

.i. if .i . � .i. i i i i 8i8 •

!il CfJ 8 8 8 CfJ 'fi 8 8 8 1:: !il 1: �

This is the key position in the old line and perhaps in the entire 3 ... .2.e7 vari­ ation. 1 0.c4! ? A quite logical attempt, to open the game and to make use of his space advantage. The other two moves seem to be less helpful: A) 10.tlld4 tlldxc5 (or even 10 ... tlla xc5!? l I .tll2f3 f6+:t Shiven­ Shanmuganathan, Chennai 20 1 1)

analysis diagram

'White did not get much out of the opening.' - GM Postny (CBM 1 08) 1 5 . .l:!.acl b6 1 6 . .l:i.c3 f5! (16 ...tllb 7= Postny) 1 7.�d2 h6 1 8 .tlle l �e8= Satyapragyan-Pert, Hastings 2007/08; B) 1 0.c3 (GM Sumets, CBM 1 54: 'In my view White has more chances to play for an opening advantage if he plays 1 0.c4 or 1 0 .tlld4') 1 0 ...tllaxc5

.i i i

.i. "iV I * �� i i i i �i8 •

8 !il CfJ 8 8 CfJ 'fli 8 8 8 1:: !il 1:: � analysis diagram l I . .2.c2 (another bishop retreat; l I . .2.b5 f6 1 2 .tllb 3 tllx e5 1 3 .tllx e5 fxe5 1 4.'ifxe5 tlle 4!+ Pogonina-Hoang Thanh Trang, St Petersburg 2009) l l ...f6!? (a very typical push in the French. Black removes White's e5-pawn, gaining more space for his pieces. There are good alternatives. l l ...b6 can lead to an unclear, but very interesting line: 1 2 . .l:Iel .2.a6 1 3.�e3

1 53

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tLld2 f6!? 14.b4! fxe5! 1 5.tLlxe5 tt:lxe5 16.bxc5 �xc5 1 7.'ti'xe5 �xf2+ 1 8 .Whl �xel� Kristjansson-Caruana, Reykjavik 2008. The even more ambitious 1 1 ...b5!? was played in several games, including Kasimdzhanov-Kamsky, Zug 201 3 : 1 2.tLld4 'iWc7 1 3 . .!:1el b4!. 'It i s hard to underestimate Black's achievements on the queenside. He had to find the best setup of his pieces in order to prevent a possible white attack.' - Sumets, CBM 1 08) 12.exf6 �xf6 1 3.tt:lb3 b6!

1 1 ... b6!?

tfl-- WEAPON:

l 1 . ..dxc4!? 1 2.�xc4 (12.tLld4!? tt:lb6 1 3.tt:lxc4 tt:lxc4 14.�xc4 �c7+:%) 1 2 ...bS! 1 3.'ti'g4 �b7 14 . .ld.el �c7 1 5.'iVg3 �fd8!+

* E .t if .. � j. i i j. j. j. � 8

E

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

14.tt:lxc5 tt:lxc5 1 5 . .l::!.d l �a6+:% and Black's pieces are more active, Kotronias­ Ni Hua, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005. 1 0 ... traxcs 1 O ...tt:ldxc5 fails to 1 1 .�bl ! d4?! (1 1...tt:lb4 1 2 . .l:i.dl+) 1 2 . �dl d3 1 3 .'ti'e3 ;!; and the pawn on d3 is somewhat weak, Vachier­ Lagrave-Baklan, Paris-ch 2004. 1 1 .�c2

1 6.tt:ld4 tt:lxe5 1 7.tLlxbS 'ti'c6 1 8 . .l::!.x e5 'iYxbS 1 9.�xh7+?! Wf8=F (19 ... Wxh7! wins for Black according to the engine) 20 . .l:i.el 1/2-1/2 Solak-Kazhgaleev, Kocaeli tt 20 14. 1 2.b3 Or 1 2.tt:ld4!? 'iVc7!? (12 ... �a6!?) 1 3 . .l:i.el �b7 1 4.tt:lb5 'ti'c6 1 5.tt:ld4 �c7 1 6 .tt:lbs 'iVc6 1 7.tt:ld4 1/2- 1/2 Godena-Dvirnyy, Torino ch-ITA 201 2 . 1 2. . . �b7 12 ...tt:lb8!?; 1 2 ... �a6!?. 1 3. �b2 'ifc7!? 13 .. .f5 14.tLld4;!; Vachier-Lagrave­ Sprenger, Germany Bundesliga 2007/08. 14 . .:fe1 14 . .ld.acl .!:Ifd8!?. 1 4 ... .:fd8

E

Now Black has to find the best way to develop his queenside: 1 54

E * .t if ,. .t i j. j. j. j. j. ,. , 8 • 8 8 ttJ 8 Ji. Ji. tt:J V//i 8 8 8 � � w

Chapter 1 2 1 S. tlld 4

l 5.h4!? (Ebeling-Santos Latasa, Al-Ain 2013). Now: 1 5 ... a4!?�. 1 S ... tllf8 1 6. 'ti'g4 1 6 .lllbs �c6. 16 ... tllg 6 1 7. tll2f3 dxc4! 1 8.bxc4 :aca

.i .i • A � li! i i i i i � i � 8 8 CfJ

Black has completed the opening phase successfully. 1 9.l:l.e3 1 9.h4 �xf3 20.lllxf3 llld 3�. 1 9... �xf3 20.lllxf3 tlld 7 21 . �b3 tllcS 2 1 ...�cS!?. 22. �d4 lllxb3 23.axb3 �cs 24. �xcS 'ifxcS 2S.h4 tlle7 The safest move. 25 .. J:!'.d7 !?. 26.'ii'e4

-

Romanishin Variation: 3 . . . �el

36. 'ii'da @h7 37.'ti'd6 'iitg6 38. 'ti'd3+ @h6 39. 'ii'g3 g6 40. 'ifgS+ 'iith7 41 . 'iff6 @g8 42.'ifdB+ @g7 43.g3 'ti'b4 44. 'iff6+ 'itg8 4S. 'ti'd8+ @g7 46. 'ii'f6+ @g8 Draw.

GAME 39 Vasilios Kotronias (2572) Ian Nepomniachtchi (2587) Moscow 2007 (8)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. tlld 2 �e7 4. �d3 cs S.dxcS lllf6!? 6. 'ife2!? tllc6 This is the modern interpretation of the Romanishin Variation. For 6 ... 0-0 see the previous game. 7. tllgf3

.i .i A 'i¥ 9 ii �i i i � i� 8i 8 � CfJ 8 8 8 CfJ 'J/1 8 8 8 l:l � � l:l 7 ... tllb 4!? Following in the footsteps of Romani shin and Morozevich. After one of his games Morozevich mentioned this move as being a new theoretical course. The alternatives are suffering a crisis: A) 7... 0-0 8.eS! tlld 7 9.lllb 3 lllxcS 1 0 .lllxcS 'iVaS+

26 ... tllfS 26 ... h6!? 27 . .l:i.d3 .l:i.xd3 28.'YWxd3 lllc 6=F. 27.l:l.d3 tllg3 28.l:l.xd8+ l:l.xd8 29. 'ii'c2 tllfS 30.l:l.d1 tlld4 31 . 'ife4 tllxf3+ 32. 'ii'xf3 l:l.xd1 + 33. 'ii'xd1 hS 34. 'ii'd 8+ @h7 3S. 'ii'd7 @g6

TRICK: 10 ... .txcS? allows the fa­ mous sacrifice 1 l . �xh7+! �xh7 1 2 .lllgs+ �g6 1 3 .M!+-. 1 1 .c3 �xcS 1 2 .h4!? f6 1 3 .exf6 �xf6 14.lllg st Adams-Soza, Internet blitz ICC 2000; B) 7... a5 8.0-0 0-0. 1 55

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tl:Jd2 9... tt:Jxd3+ 1 0.'i!Vxd3 (10.cxd3 a5!? with the idea 1 1 .d4? a4 1 2.tlJbd2 b6!t) 1 0 ... aS 1 I . .2.e3 a4 1 2 .ti:Jbd2 0-0 1 3 .0-0 ti:JxcS 14.'i!Vd4 .2.d7 1 S .�g4 Wh8 16.lladl llc8 1 7.c4 fS! 1 8.exf6 .2.xf6 1 9.cxdS exdS+ Black has a clear initiative, Zagrebelny­ Morozevich, Moscow 2003. 8 . tbxd3+ 9.cxd3 a5 ..

analysis diagram

And now 9.a4!. Tiviakov: 'The point of my idea is that White has to stop Black's counterplay on the queenside, prevent­ ing the black pieces from becoming too active.' If 9.c4 a4!? 10.lldl .2.xcS 1 1 .exdS exdS 1 2 .cxdS tLlb4 1 3.tLle4 ti:Jxd3 14.tLlxf6+ 'iVxf6 1 S.'i!Vxd3 .2.fs 1 6 .'i!VbS b6 with good compensation for the pawn, Asrian-Lputian, Yere­ van ch-ARM 2000. 9 ... ti:Jd7 (9 ... tLlb4 1 0.exdS!?;;!;; ; 9 ... .2.xcS 1 0.eS ti:Jd7 1 1 .tLlb3;;!;;) 1 0 .ti:Jb3 tLlxcS 1 1 .tLlxcS .2.xcS 1 2.c3 .2.d7 1 3 . .2.f4 tLle7 14.eS tLlg6 1 S . .2.g3;;!;; White's prospects are better (h2-h4) , Tiviakov-Lputian, Ohrid Ech 200 1 . 8.tbb3!? Trying to defend his extra pawn on cS. The developing move 8.0-0!? will be ex­ amined in the next game. After 8.eS tlJd7 9.tlJb3

E .t 'if • l l � .t i l l l 81� 4l ttJ � ttJ 8 8 8 'i/ � 8 8 : � � : E

analysis diagram

1 S6

1 0 . ..tgs The most popular move at the moment. A) Another interesting idea is 1 0.0-0!?, with which only one single game has been played so far! 10 ... a4 1 1 .tLlbd4 �xcS 1 2.eS M.Pavlov-Firman, Alushta 2002. After the natural moves 1 2 ... ti:Jd? 1 3 . .2.e3;;!;; White has an obvious strategic plus; B) The blockading move 1 0.a4!? can be met by a clear reply: 1 o ... dxe4!? 1 1 .dxe4 0 - 0 12.0-0 'ii'c 7!? (the improvement, which solves virtually all Black's tech­ nical problems; if 1 2 ... b6?! 13.I:i.dl 'fie? 14.cxb6 'fixb6 l S .'i!VbS!N) 13 . .2.gS eS�. 1 0... a4 1 1 . tbbd2 h6!?

E .t � • l �ll l� l � 81 l 8 8 ttJ Cjj 'i/ 8 8 8 : <;t>

E

Chapter 1 2 - Rornanishin Variation: 3 . . . ..2.e7 It is very important to force White's bishop to choose a diagonal. 1 2. �xf6 A) If 1 2 . ..2.e3!? �as 1 3 .0-0 ..2.xcS 1 4.exdS (14. ..2.xcS!? 'iVxcS 1 5.l:r.fcI ;;!;; Navara-Duppel, Pardubice 2000) 14 ... ..2.xe3 1 5 .tlJc4! 'iYa6 1 6.'i¥xe3 0-0 1 7.dxe6 ..2.xe6= we reach a tactical po­ sition where White has an extra pawn but Black has active pieces in compen­ sation, Ganguly-Hanley, Torquay ch­ BCF 2002; B) Or 1 2 . ..2.M gS!? 13 . ..2.g3 �xcS 14.exdS ttJxdS 1 5.0-0 f6 (15 ... a3!?) 16.l:f.acl �e7 1 7.l:r.fel 0-0 1 8.t2Jd4 l:r.a6 and the position is equal, Aagaard­ P.H.Nielsen, Denmark tt 2000/01 . 1 2 ... hf6

i

i

•

i ii iA i

A 8i

8 8 t2J t2J V/ii 8 8 8 � �

1 3.exd5 Another logical idea is 1 3 .eS. Nicholas Pert in Yearbook 84: 'The hero of the line, Morozevich, had previously struggled against 1 3 .e S against England's Michael Adams, but appeared to reach a reasonable posi­ tion when he improved with 14 ... �aS against Godena. Here he gained piece activity and the bishop pair in return for a pawn - a common theme - and eventually went on to regain his pawn and later to win. A word of warning, though: this endgame was later repeat­ ed in the game Bauer-Libiszewski and this time round the extra pawn count­ ed for White! '

1 3 ... �e7 and now: 14.'iYe3 (14.d4 ifas 1 5.0-0 0-0 16.l:r.fcl b6!? and with the bishop pair Black has an initiative compensating for the pawn, Losev-Radjabov, Alushta 2001) 14 ...ifaS 1 5 .l:f.cl b6!? (15 ... ..2.d7 16.0-0 0-0 1 7.1:!'.c2 .l:i.fc8 1 8 .l:f.fcl .l:tc7 1 9.d4 b6� Pogonina­ Matveeva, Elista ch-RUS 2002) 1 6.cxb6 �d8 1 7.ifcs ifxcS 1 8 .l:r.xcS ..2.xb6 Black's bishops prove their worth in the ending, Godena-Morozevich, Istanbul Olympiad 2000. 1 3 ... 'ii'xd5!? A) GM Nicholas Pert in Yearbook 84: 'In the game I came up with a very in­ teresting and probably quite powerful novelty': 1 3 ... 0-0!? (author's note: In my opinion, with this move Black can only fight for equality. Central action is more important than the tempo invested in castling) 14.tlJe4 (14.d6!?) 14 ... exdS 15.tt"Jxf6+ 'iYxf6 1 6.0-0 b6 1 7. .id.acl bxcS 18 . .!:f.xcS ..2.g4 1 9.'iYeS 'Wb6 20.l:r.xdS �xf3 2 1 .gxf3 !lab8= Rozentalis-Pert, Dublin ch-IRL 2007; B) The intermediate 1 3 ... a3!? might just introduce a new line, with many possi­ bilities: 14.tlJe4 (14.dxe6 �xe6 1 5.0-0 0-0�; 14.d6 axb2 1 5.llbl .l:i.xa2oo) 14... axb2! (14...ifxdS!? 1 5.ttJxf6+ gxf6 1 6 .b4 �d7� Vachier-Lagrave-Marzolo, Chartres ch-FRA 2005) 1 5.l:r.bl

analysis diagram

1 5 ...°iVxdS!� (using Nepomniachtchi's idea again. 1 5 ... l:r.xa2?! 16.tt'Jd6+ @f8 157

Part 'IWo -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlld2 1 7.0-0l) 16.tt:lxf6+ gxf6 l 7.�xb2 .l:igS! 1 8 .0-0 �d7!� with good chances for Black to take the initiative via the g-file. 1 4. llle4 ..id7!?.: This was another interesting novelty. 14 ... �e7?! 1 5 .d4 0-0 1 6 .tt:lc3 �d8 1 7.0-0 Kotronias-Ostenstad, Gausdal 2002 .

.i .t.

• .t

.i

88 :

8

.t. .t. .t. .t .t. ttJ ttJ V//i 8 8 8 � :

1 S.0-0 In the second game of this new line the move chosen was 1 5 .d4 �c6 1 6.tlJd6+ �f8+:% Korbut-Tairova, Moscow ch-RUS 2007. 1 s ... ..ic6 1 6. :ctc1 :de 1 6 ...�xa2!?. 1 7.tiJdG+ @fa 1 8.b4 axb3 1 9.axb3 'ifxb3 20. llleS 20 . .l:i.c4 hS!?. 20 ... ..ixeS 21 . 'ii'xeS 'ifxd3 22.f4?? A terrible blunder. Kotronias was probably obsessed with his own attack. 22.f3 �g8!? is about equal, but a pawn up for Black.

22 ... 'ii'd2!-+ With a technical win.

158

Hoogeveen 2002 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tt:Jd2 ..ie7 4 . ..id3 cs S.dxcS tt:Jf6 6. 'ife2 tt:Jc6 7.tt:Jgf3 tt:Jb4 8.0-0!?

.i .t 'if • .t. .t. .t .t. .t. .t. � 8 .t. � 8 � ttJ 8 8 8 tt:J Wi/ 8 8 : � �

8 'iV .t.

GAME 40 Ivan Cheparinov (2473) Alexander Riazantsev (2543)

0-1

.i .t.

8 :

White does not try to hold on to the pawn anymore, but prefers to exploit his lead in development. This is a positional attempt against Morozevich's ...lt:Jc6-b4 set-up. For 8 .tt:lb3 see the previous game. 8 ... tt:Jxd3 9.cxd3 hes 1 o.tt:Jb3 ..ie7

1 1 . ..igS The most popular move. A) Svidler's idea 1 1 .eS has not been very successful: l I ...tlJd7 1 2.tt:lfd4 0-0 1 3 .�f4 tt:Jcs 14.�g4 �h8 (14... fS!?) 1 5 .tlJxcS �xcS 1 6.tlJf3 �e7 1 7. .l:tfel �d7 1 8 .�hS f6 1 9. .l:tacl �e8! 20.�h3 fS= Svidler-Radjabov, Moscow (rapid) 2002;

Chapter 1 2

-

Romanishin Variation: 3 ... �el

B) But an interesting alternative is l l .�f4!? with the idea of attacking along the c-file: 1 1 ...0-0 (1 1 ...'i¥b6?! 1 2.eS±) 1 2 . .l:i.acl ;!;; Wang Yu-Guo Qi, Hefei ch­ CHN (rapid) 201 1 . 1 1 ... hS! In order to force the white bishop to choose a diagonal again. 1 2 . .ih4

14.�xe7 (14.�g3!?) 14 ... tbxe7 1 5 . .l:i.acl 0-0 1 6.t2Jbd4 �d7 and Black equal­ ized easily, Renet-Vitiugov, Cappelle-la­ Grande 2008. 1 3.eS! The best solution. 13.I:f.acl allows Black to equalize: 1 3 ... dxe4! Ponomariov­ Morozevich, Istanbul Olympiad 2000. 1 3 ... tLige

The critical moment in this line. Black must find an effective defence. 1 2 .. .id7!? The most usual and logical move. Other ideas should be carefully analysed: A) Black now has the possibility of playing l 2 ...°i¥b6, without having to worry about an immediate �g5-�e3: 13.eS! t2Jg8 (very striking, but also the only move) and now 1 4.�g3 ! is the crit­ ical move, with the idea of bringing the bishop to e3 to gain some tempi. Black will have to move his queen and king's bishop to be able to develop his knight. After 14 ... �d7 (14... �d8 1 5.�f4!;!;; proved easy for White, Brodsky-Jenetl, Krasnodar 1 999) 1 5.�f4!? 'i¥a6 1 6.a4 .l:i.c8 1 7.lLJbd4 �cs 1 8 . �d2! White's advantage is obvious, Anisimov­ Nepomniachtchi, Krasnoyarsk 2007; B) The natural continuation is 12 ... 0-0 13 .eS lLJd7 14.�xe7! 'i¥xe7, which occurred in two games by Nepomni­ achtchi: 1 5.l:l'.ac l ! ?;;i;; ; C) A quite recent game with this line went: 1 2 ... aS 1 3 .eS (1 3 . .l:!.ac l !?;!;;) 1 3 ...t2Jg8

1 4 . .ig3! Exchanging pieces is not in White's in­ terests, since it would simplify the posi­ tion too much: 14.�xe7 tbxe7 1 5 .lLJcS;!;; Baklan-Arizmendi Martinez, St Vincent 2003. 1 4... hS An imaginative decision.

.

ffll*- WEAPON: 14... �f8 ! ?...

analysis diagram

... would lead to a new set-up if followed up by ...t2Jg8-lLJe7. No games, no theory! ffll*- WEAPON: 14 ... aS is more solid: 1 5.l:l'.acl a4 1 6 .lLJcS �xcS!? 1 59

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tLxl2 1 7.l:f.xcS 0:ie7 and the position is almost equal. 1 5.tl'ifd4 Another idea is 1 5 . .2.f4!? 0:ih6 1 6 .0:ifd4;;!;; Lipka-Vavrak, Slovakia tt 2002/03. 1 5 ... g6 A slightly passive but quite solid method. 15 ... aS!? is more creative, intending 16 ... a4 to chase the 0:ib3 away. 1 6. l:ac1 b6 White dominates the c-file, but now Black is not worse here because of other factors: his minor pieces are better and he has no major weaknesses. 22. 'ifd2 22.i.d2 aS!=. 22 ... �xf4 23. 'ifxf4 'ifd7 24. .:1.1 c2 .:I.fee 25. 'ifc1 l:i::,e7 26 . .:l.c7= Y2·1/2 The black knight on e7 is more effective and flexible than its opposite number on b3. 1 7.tbc6 1 7.i.f4! with the idea 1 7...0:ih6 1 8 .i.xh6 l:i.xh6 l 9.0:ic6±. 1 7 ... .b:c6 t8.:Xc6 lllh 6 1 9. �f4 tl'if5 20. .:l.fc1 0-0 21 .d4?! 2 1 .h3!? i.cs 22.�d2! �d7 23 . .!:i.6xc5 bxcS 24.CiJxcS±. 21 ... [email protected] S!

Summary of 8.0-0: Even though Black is behind in develop­ ment, he retains good chances of equal­ izing. In the middlegame his position is slightly passive, but simplifications are in his favour. White's weak central pawns can become a liability in the endgame.

Summary of 4. i.d3 and Black's counterplay This offers richer and more dynamic play than 4.0:igf3. Both sides can vary their opening moves. The classical plan of 6 ... 0-0, 7... aS!?, 8 ... 0:ia6 and recovering the pawn is much safer (Game 38). Morozevich's plan with 6 ... 0:ic6, 7...0:ib4 is an es­ pecially tactical operation. In this line, the possibility of White castling should be constantly reckoned with (8.0-0!? - see the next game).

1 60

Chapter 13

-

A French-Scandinavian Hybrid

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.t2Jd2 cs 4.exd5 'Wxd5! ?

Introduction The Italian player Davide Marotti was the first to discover this unusual move at the board in 1923. Soon the idea was developed by grandmasters such as the Aus­ trian Argentine Erich Eliskases, the Armenian Tigran Petrosian and the Swede Ulf Andersson. Now this popular system has a base of 6857 games! .m=:;., Statistics: Petrosian played 1 7 games in this line, scoring 1 6 draws (!) and one win. Peculiarly, Andersson also played 1 7 games, with the result: 7 wins, 1 loss and 9 draws - of course his opponents were not so strong... Three Main Ideas If we compare these positions with those that arise in the Scandinavian Defence, we can observe that Black is better here! The added moves are: tLlbl -d2 and d2-d4 for White and the pawn moves ... c7-c5 and ... e7-e6 for Black. However, White keeps a lead in development after s.tt:Jgf3 cxd4 6. �c4 'li!Vd6.

The Italian player Davide Marotti was the first to discover the unusual move 4 . . . 'il!fxdS on the board in 1 9 2 3 .

161

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlJd2 Play in this line is similar to the Rubinstein Variation 3 ... dxe4. But both sides have an additional possibility: that of castling queenside. At this point White has three main ideas: 1 - The sharp line 7.'tWe2, preparing the development tl:Jb3/�gs and queenside castling (Game 41 , De la Paz-Moskalenko). This modern set-up mainly owes its resurrection to grandmaster Eduardas Rozentalis, who has used it successfully in important games. However, for many years this plan was sidelined by theory, and the only continuation to be employed at high level was the classical: 2- 7.0-0 tl:Jf6 8.tl:Jb3 tl:Jc6 9.tl:Jbxd4 tl:Jxd4

Now White can choose between: A) A modest ending: 10.'tWxd4 'tWxd4! (Game 42, Velicka-Moskalenko), or B) 10.tl:Jxd4! is without a doubt the strongest and most popular move, which we will examine in the last three games. Black's natural replies are: Game 43 : 10 ... �e7. This was the main weapon of former World Champion Tigran Petrosian when he fought for a draw - nobody could beat him in this line! Game 44: 10 ... �d7 is a more aggressive plan, with the possibility of queenside castling. Game 45: 10 ... a6. In my opinion, this move, although the most popular, is an im­ portant loss of time.

1 62

Chapter 1 3

-

A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . . c5 4.exd5 �xd5

A French-Scandinavian Hybrid ­ Games GAME 41 Frank De La Paz (2449) Viktor Moskalenko (251 0) Montcada 2003 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2 cs 4.exdS

,_.,,,.. WEAPON: Against 4.CiJgf3 Black can play 4 ... cxd4 5.CiJxd4 (5.exd5 �xd5 transposes into the main line) 5 ...CiJc6

5.lLlgf3 5.dxc5 �xc5 6.CiJgf3 fiJf6 7.�c4 �hS!? 8.0-0 0-0=. 5 ... cxd4 6. �c4 'ifd6 The most usual retreat. The second-most common move is 6 ...�d8, e.g. 7.0-0 fiJf6 8.CiJb3 CiJc6 9.�e2!?±. 7. 'ii'e2 The main continuation 7.0-0 fiJf6 8 .CiJb3 will be examined in the next four Games (42-45).

•

White prepares CiJb3-�g5 and 0-0-0. 7 ... lLlf6 8.lLlb3 lLlc6 9.�gS analysis diagram

6.�b5 �d7 7.CiJxc6 �xc6!? (7... bxc6 8.�d3oo) 8.�xc6+ bxc6 9.c4! dxe4!? (9 ... CiJf6 1 0.�a4oo) 1 0.�a4?! (lO.CiJxe4 �xdl+ 1 1 .@xdl �d8+�) 1 0 .. .fS! and Black has an excellent position, Kolev-Moskalenko, Montcada 2001 . 4 ... 'ifxdS!?

- � .t ii

•

�­ iii i. i� • 8 •

8 8 8 CJJ 8 8 8 :a: � 'WI � � CjJ :a: This ingenious Scandinavian-style move is quite popular in practice.

9 ... �e7 A very solid concept (Black intends ... 0-0), but this move is no stronger than:

,_.,,,.. WEAPON: 9 ...�b4+!? (a tactical manoeuvre to improve the queen's position) 10.�d2 �b6 1 1 .0-0-0 �d7 1 2 .�f4 (12.�g5 �e7!?=) 12 ... �cS !? 1 3 .CiJes 0-0= and there is nothing spe1 63

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 cial for White in this position, Koscielski-Malakhatko, Bad Zwesten 2005. Black could also try 9... a6!?, intending to push ...b7-b5 on the next move the most optimistic and complicated Sicilian-style plan is implemented here. 1 0.0-0-0 b5.

The position is sharp. and typically Sicil­ ian. At the moment the chances are equal. Both sides have a lot to say, though: 1 5 .g4 �b7 16.l:thgl tl:id5! 1 7.gS tl:ib4 1 8.Wbl i.ds 1 9.a3 tl:ixd3 20.�xd3 .l:!.d8!? 2 1 .f4 0-0 22.h4 �b7!? 23.�f2 b4! and Black arrives first, Korneev-Matamoros Franco, Malaga 200 1 . 1 0.0-0-0

analysis diagram

The main trick is that the d4-pawn is indirectly defended by the attack on the bishop. 1 I . i.d3 �e7!? and now: 1 2.tl:ibxd4 (the most reasonable op­ tion. In the event of 1 2 .Wbl Black can choose from among several alterna­ tives: 1 2 ... i.b7!?; 1 2 ... eS; 1 2 ... �d7!?) l 3.tl:ibxd4 tl:ixd4 14.tl:ixd4 �c5 1 5 .tl:if3 l:rd8 1 6 .h4 h6!? 1 7. �e3 �c7 1 8 . �d2 tl:id7 1 9.�c3 0-0= Zinchenko­ Malakhatko, Cappelle la Grande 2008) 1 2 ... tl:ixd4 (12...�b7!?) 1 3.tl:ixd4 �c5! (the most effective manoeuvre) 14.�e3 �c7.

analysis diagram

1 64

1 0 .. eS?! A dubious advance. During the game I thought that ... i.g4 was a good defen­ sive resource, but unfortunately it is inadequate. .

� WEAPON: 1 0 ... h6!? was necessary.

This move order offers different possibilities: l I .i.h4 (1 I .tl:ibxd4?! is bad: 1 1 ...hxgS 1 2 .tl:ixe6 �b8! 1 3.tl:iexgS �f4+! 14.Wbl 0-0 and Black gains an advantage, Tischbierek-Luther, Bremen ch­ GER 1 998) l l ...�f4+ (1 1 ...0-0!?) 12.Wbl �e4 1 3 . Ilhel �xe2 14.l:he2 �d7 with a typical, quite balanced ending.

1 1 .h3?! Perhaps my opponent was afraid of the possibility ... i.g4, but this is a passive option. 1 1 .�bS?! 0-0!. 1 1 .l:ihe l ! is the critical move: 1 l ...�g4 1 2 . �bS! i.xf3 1 3 .gxf3 ;;!;; and it seems that White is better here. 1 1 ... 0-0

Chapter 1 3 - A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . . cS 4.exdS 'i'xdS

Black can be very satisfied with the opening. In the remainder of this dra­ matic encounter, both players made many mistakes right up to the end ... 1 2.g4? A pseudo-aggressive advance. 2': 12 . .l::!.hel h6 13.�h4 e4!+ with strong counterplay. 1 2 ... ttJdS The alternative 1 2 ... �e6!? was also strong. 1 3. :he1 .txgS+ 1 4. tbxgS h6 14 ...tt:Jf4! 1 5 .'l:!Ve4 �h6! would have won easily. 1 S. lllf3 lllf4 1 6. 'fi'e4 tbxh3 1 7. tbxeS 'fixes 1 8. 'fixes tbxes 1 9. :Xes tbxf2 20.:11 tbxg4 20 ... �e6!?. 21 . hf7+ 'it>h8 22 . .l:[e7 llle3 23.:91 d3T 24.cxd3 lllfS 2S.l:Z.c7 llld 6 26 . .tds .tfs 27.:cxg7 ..txd3 28. l:td7 l:tad8 29.lllcS .l:.xd7 30.tbxd7

ao ... :ce+?

Allowing White to finally escape. 30 ... .l::!.fl++. 31 . fit.?d2 .tc4 32.l:Z.g6 .txdS 33.:Xh6+ 'it>g7 34.:Xd6 ..txa2 3S. llleS .tb1 36.l:td7+ fit.?f6 37.llld3 l:Z.c2+ 38.@d1 .l:lh2 39.fit.?c1 l:th1 + 40. 'it>d2 :ha 41 .lllcS :h2+ 42.'it>e3 b6 43.llla4 .l:.h7 44.:Xh7 hh7 4S. 'ifi>d4 'ifi>e6 46. lllc3 fit.?d7 47.lllbS as 48.fit.?c3 fit.?c6 49.llld4+ @cs SO. lllb3+ fit.?bS S 1 . ttJd4+ @a4 S2. llle6 112-112 Summary of the plan with 7.�e2 and 0-0-0: This is an interesting and fashionable set-up, which deserves much attention, but it does not guarantee White any advantage in all the lines that arise after 9... �e7 or 9 ..�b4+. And it does not even guarantee White an easy life after 9... a6!? and the Sicilian advance ...b7b5!. .

GAME 42 Petr Velicka (2442) Viktor Moskalenko (2520) Solsones Open 2003 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJd2 cs 4.exdS 'fi'xdS S. tllgf3 cxd4 6 . .tc4 'fi'd6 7.0-0 lllf6 8. lllb3 lllc6 9. lllbxd4 tbxd4 1 0. 'fi'xd4

K .i. ii

Quite a modest continuation. The most ambitious try is 10.lllxd4! - see the next three games. 1 65

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tlld2 1 6 .tt:ld2 tt:lxd2 1 7. �xd2 �d4! 1 8 . �e3 �xe3 1 9.fxe3 @e7= Fluvia Poyatos­ Moskalenko, Catalunya 2003. 12 . ..tcS! ? .

.

The game Velicka-Moskalenko in progress.

1 0... 'lfxd4! 1 0 ... �d7!?. 1 1 . ttJxd4 The main idea for White after the queen exchange is to reach a better ending: three pawns against two on the queen­ side and more active minor pieces. How­ ever, historically and technically this rule only prevailed in Capablanca's day. 1 1 ... .td7 With an equal position. 1 1 ...�cS!? is another developing strategy: 1 2.tt:lb3 (12.tt:lbs @e7!? 1 3 .�f4 a6!? 1 4.tt:lc3 bS+:t) 1 2 ... �e7 1 3 .�f4 �d7 14.�e2 tt:ldS 1 S . �g3= Akopian-Shirov, Merida 2000. 12 . .te2 A) If 12.tLlbS?! .!d.c8!; B) Or, for instance, 1 2 . �bS?! .!d.d8 (12 ... �cS!?) 1 3.c4 �xbS 14.tt:lxbS a6 1 S .tt:lc3+. Here Black has many moves to gain a slight advantage, Rios Parra­ Moskalenko, Barbera 2003; C) Or else 1 2 .�f4 .!d.c8 1 3 . �e2 (13.�b3 �cs 14 . .l::!.a dl 0-0 1 S .h3 .!d.fd8 16.�eS aS 1 7.a4 �e8 1 8 .�xf6?! gxf6=F Rios Parra-Moskalenko, Montcada 200S) 1 3 ... �cS 14.tt:lb3 �b6 1 S .c4 tt:le4+:t

1 66

Attacking the knight with gain of tempo is a logical decision. 1 3.l2Jb3 .tb6 1 4.a4 a6!? The blocking move 14 ... aS is more com­ plicated: I S .c4 �c6 1 6 .�f4 tt:le4 1 7.�f3 tt:lcS 1 8 . �xc6+ bxc6 1 9.tt:lxcS �xcS 20 . .!d.fdl We7 2 1 ..l::!.d 3 .!:f.hd8 22.l::radl .!d.xd3 23.I:!.xd3 f6 24.�d2 .!d.b8 2S.b3 �b4 26.�e3 and a draw was agreed very soon in Motylev-Ivanchuk, Moscow 2002. 1 5 . .tf3 0-0-0

Black has solved all his opening prob­ lems and his position is quite flexible for a change. 1 6 . ..tgS? ! 16.l:!e! @b8 (16 ... �c6!?=) 1 7.aS �a7 1 8 .�f4+ 1/2- 1/2 Nevednichy-Akopian, Heraklion Ech-tt 2007. 1 6 ... h6 1 7. .txf6

Chapter 1 3 - A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . . c5 4.exd5 "tWxd5 A dubious exchange, after which Black will play for a win. In the event of 1 7.�h4 �c6 1 8.�xc6 bxc6<=t the game has only just started. 1 7 ... gxf6 1 8. :fd1 fS 1 9. lbd2 es 20.tbc4 �c7 21 . lbd6+ hd6 22 . .:.XdS @c7!? 22 ... �e6=. 23 . .l:[dd1 White wants to trade the rooks along the d-file. 23 . .i:!.f6!? was a more active attempt. With 23 ... �e6 24.�hS �d7 25.�g6 I::!'.hd8 Black gets good chances along the d-file and the second rank. 23 ...f4 23 ... e4!? 24.�e2 f4t. 24.aS fS 2S.�dS �cs 26. �xc6 bxc6!=F More pawns towards the centre!

21.@11 :ds! 2e.@e2 :be 29. .:.Xds 29.b3 .i:!.M!? 30.g3 !lest. 29 ... cxdS 30.b3 @d6 30 ... e4!?. 31 .g3 :ca! 32. @d2 f3 33 . .:.a4?? The decisive mistake. White should have tried 33.c3D. If 3 3 .M d4 34 . .i:!.bl Wc6 35.Iib3 e4t. 33 ... d4 34. :b4 @dS!-+ 3S.:.b7 Or 35 . .l::f.b 6 e4! 36.I:l.f6 @es 37.�xa6 e3+ 38.fxe3 l:f.xc2+! 39.'it>xc2 f2-+. 3 S... e4 36.:.d7+ @es 37.c4 dxc3+ The b-pawn has changed direction many times! Before its capture, let us re­ member its route: ... bxc6-cxd5-d4-dxc3.

38.@c2 .:I.cs 39. l:tdB .:.XaS 40.@xc3 :.a2 41 .l:.eB+ @f6 42.g4 .:.Xf2 43.l:.fB+ @gs 44.l:.gB+ 'itt4 4S.gxfS .l:.g2 0-1

Summary: The endgame is extremely important. After the queen exchange 1 0.�xd4 "tWxd4! , the only thing the two players can demonstrate is their tech­ nique!

GAME 43 David Larino Ni eto (2487) Viktor Moskalenko (2582) Salou 2011 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. llld2 cs 4.exdS 'ifxdS S.lllgf3 cxd4 6.�c4 'ild6 7.0-0 lllf6 8. lllb3 lllc6 9. lllbxd4 lllx d4 1 0.lllxd4 The critical moment for Black. There are only two correct moves in this position! 1 0... �e7!?

This possibility is not very popular (only 98 games in the MegaBase), but it can be useful for players looking for a quick draw (see Tigran Petrosian's lines), just as in the Rubinstein Variation with 3 ... dxe4. Instead, 1 0 ... �d7 is more ambitious, or even 1 0 ... a6 - see Games 44 and 45. 1 1 .c3 White prepares the queen move. There are three alternatives that should be checked: 1 67

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tD:i2 A) 1 1 .tllb S is the most aggressive move, looking for tricks. But White won't find anything effective: l 1 ...'lic6!? (1 1 ...'lib8 is another good option: 1 2 .g3 0-0!? 1 3 .Vi'e2 eS+%) 1 2.Wie2 0-0 1 3 .�f4 a6 (1 3 ... b6!? 14.tlld4 'lies l S.l:tadl �b7=) 14.tlld4 'lies= 1 S .tllb 3 'ti'c6 1 6 .tlld4 �cs 1/2-1/2 Tal-Petrosian, Tbilisi 1 976; B) l l . �e3 0-0 1 2.'l!ff3 Wic7 (12 ... eS!? 1 3 .tllbs 'i¥b4 14.'1We2 �g4 1 S.f3 �cs 1 6.b3 a6+%) 13.�b3 �d7 14.h3 and the position is completely equal, Onischuk­ Gulko, New York Open 1 998.

analysis diagram

Now the simplest continuation is 14 ... �cS l S . .!:i.adl eS 1 6 .tllfS �xfS 1 7.'irVxfS �xe3 18.fxe3 .!:i.ad8=; C) l l .b3!? with the idea of defending the bishop on c4 and preparing �b2: 1 1 ... 0-0! l 2.�b2.

.i .t .t. .t. •

14.tllxf3 b6= Bok-Giri, Netherlands tt 2013/14) 1 3 ... .!:td8 (13 ... �cS 14.tllf3 b6 l S.'l!feS 'irVxeS 16.tllxeS �b7= Berbatov­ Dizdarevic, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010) 14 . .!:i.adl �d7 1 S.�d3 (ls . .i::rfel �b4!?+% A.Sokolov-Smagin, Riga ch-URS 198S) l S ... �cS (1S ... .!:i.ac8!?) 16.tllf3 �c6 1 7.tlle S �e4! 18.lldel ! ? Akopian-Kamsky, Nalchik 2009. Now: 1 8 ... �g6!+%. 1 1 ... 0-0 Another key moment.

.i .t .t. .t. •

1 2. 'iff3!? 1 2.'i¥e2 a6!? (12 ... �d7) 1 3 .�dl Wic7 14.�gS b6!?=. 1 2 ... 'ifc7!? To defend b7 and prepare ... �d7. More forcing is the advance 12 ... eS!?, an important resource here or on one of the next moves: 1 3 .tllfS �xfS 14.'ti'xfS g6 1 S.'i¥f3 e4 1 6 .'i¥e2 'irVeS +% Wehmeier­ Kaser, Germany tt 2001 /02. 1 3. �b3 1 3 . �d3 was tested recently: 1 3 ... �d7 14.l:!'.el .!:i.fe8

analysis diagram

I found some games which reached this position by transposition (... �d 7/. .. �el): 1 2 ...'i¥f4 1 3 .'i¥e2!? (13.'i¥f3 'i¥xf3 1 68

analysis diagram

Chapter 1 3 - A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . cS 4.exdS 'iVxdS .

15.�gS (1 5.�f4 �d6 16.�xd6 �xd6 1 7.a4 .l:Iad8!= Vallejo Pons-Giri, Beijing rapid 201 1) 1 5 ...tlld S 16.�xe7 .l:he7 17 . .l::!.adl i.e8 1 8.'iVe4 tllf6 1 9.'iVM .l::!.d8 20.ne3 h6 2 1 .l::rdel r!ed7 22.l'.:!.g3 @fg 23.l:1f3 'iVaS= Mamedov-Greet, Troms0 Olympiad 2014. 1 3 ... �d7=

This position is not dangerous for Black. He has saved several tempi compared to the line 10 ... a6 (Game 45). Not so clear is 13 ... �d6 14.h3 i.d7 (14 ... �eS!?) 1 5. i.gs i.h2+ 1 6 .@hl �es - but anyway, this position is much better for Black than the ones offered in certain anti-French books and articles! 1 4. �f4!? A) 1 4.l::re l i.d6 1 5 .h3 e5!+% Tiviakov­ Makarov, Podolsk 1 992, by transposi­ tion; B) 14.�gS

analysis diagram

14 ... .l::!.ad8 (simpler may have been 14 ... tlld S!? - Illescas) 1 5 . i.M (after

1 5.l:rfel !?= (Aagaard-Almasi, Budapest 1 996), Black can continue as in the game) 1 5 ... �c8 16.l:1fel a6 1 7. .l::!.a dl .I:!.fe8 18.�c2 tlld s 1 9.�g3 i.d6 20.�b3 .txg3 2 1 .hxg3 tllf6 22.tllc 2. In this completely equal position a draw was agreed in Illescas Cordoba-Moskalenko, Barcelona 2008. 1 4... 'ifb6 14 ... eS!?. 1 5.l:ad1 l:ad8 1 6. �e5

My opponent was very happy with his position after the opening. His pieces are on the best squares, ready to attack ... while I had to try and find some superb defensive plan. 1 6 ... llJeS!? Black prepares simplifications: with ... �e7-.tf6. A possible alternative is 1 6 ... aS in order to activate the queenside. 1 7.'ifh3!? With the clear intention to attack the black king. 1 7.'iVe3 i.d6!?. 17 ... �f6! 1 8.f4 .tc6! Step by step, Black has also improved his pieces. 19 . .tc2 This seems to be a logical continuation. If 1 9.@hl �e4!?, defending the king­ side. 1 9... g6! However, after this move the bishop on c2 is no longer dangerous. 1 69

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0.d2 20.b4 In the event of 20.@hl ?! 'li.fxb2! 2 1 . �b3 i.xeS 22.fxeS ctJg7=F Black is a pawn up. 20 ... .txe5! ? 21 .fxe5 After only a few moves the position has changed: White cannot continue his attack. 21 ... t2Jg7 22.'ifi>h1 Obviously, White has to liberate his knight on d4. 22 ... tlJfS ! Following the rules of the game, Black offers one more exchange. 23 . .txf5 exf5

Summarizing the result of the middle­ game (offense vs. defence): after a num­ ber of simplifications, White does not have enough resources to attack, while Black has gained some strategic advan­ tages; the white pawns on c3 and eS are potentially weak. 24. 'ii'h S White continues optimistically, without sensing the danger. 24... .te4! The French bishop on e4 turns into the best piece on the board. 25 . .J:.de1 25.l:i.f4 f6!. 25. .. .J:.xd4! A thematic sacrifice (l:i.xtt::l) , which changes the course of the game. 25 ... 'li.fc7!? was also possible, with more complicated play after 26.e6!?. 26.cxd4 'ifxd4 1 70

In this position (�+ti, vs . .l::!.) , the re­ maining white pawns are weak. 27. 'ife3 Now it is White who seeks simplifica­ tions - a good sign! 27.e6!? fxe6 28 . .l:ldl 'li.fc4!+. 27... 'ifxe3 28.l:.xe3 A schematic ending arises, where the black bishop on e4 continues to domi­ nate the game. 28 ... .l:.eB! 29.h4 .J:.xe5 30.@h2 .J:.d5 31 .l:.f2 @g7 32.@g3 .J:.d4 33.a3 h6!? Preparing the advance ...g6-g5. 34.b5 g5! 35.hxg5 hxg5 36.:Z.c3 f4+! 37.@h2 .J:.d1 ! The white king will not escape. 38.a4 @g6-+

Black will now soon realize his big ad­ vantage. The direct plan: ...WfS and the push of the g-pawn is unstoppable. 39 . .J:.c4 .td5 39...@fS ! . 40 . .J:.cc2 .te4 41 .J:[c7 f6 42 . .J:.e7 .J:.e1 43.a5 'itf5 44 . .J:.c7 b6 45 . .lba7

Chapter 1 3 - A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . . c5 4.exd5 �xd5 g4 46 . .l:.g7 bxaS 47.b6 .l:.b1 48 . .l:.gB a4 49.l:tg7 a3 50 . .l:.gB a2 51 . :Xa2 g3+ 52.:Xg3 fxg3+ 53.@xg3 :Xb6 0-1 54.@h4 �g6 55 . .l:.a4

previous game) I 2 . .2.b2 �f4?! (em­ ployed by GM Yury Kruppa; 1 2 ... .2.e7!? is more solid) 1 3 .g3!? 'iWh6.

Summary: In my opinion (and also that of Aki­ ba Rubinstein and Tigran Petrosian), the plan with I O ... �e7 and I 1 ...0-0 is slightly passive but very solid.

GAME 44 Magesh Chandran Panchanathan (2482) Zviad lzoria (2641) Philadelphia 2007 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tlld2 cs 4.exdS 'it'xdS 5. tllgf3 cxd4 6 . .tc4 'ifd6 7.0-0 tllf6 8.tllb3 tllc6 9. tllbxd4 tllxd4 1 O. tllxd4 .td7! ?

This developing move is quite useful as well, since it defends bS and enables Black to castle queenside. 1 1 .c3 I cannot figure out why this modest move is the most popular. A) I I .lbb5 has been played in only a few games: 1 1 ...'i¥b6!? 12.�e3 �cs 1 3 . �xc5 'ii'x c5=; B) However, the fianchetto I 1 .b3!? is quite active: I J .. . l:ld8 (if I 1 ...0-0-0?! 1 2 . �b2 �c7 1 3 .'iWe2 .2.d6 14.h3 .2.h2+ I S .@hl .2.f4 16 . .l::f.adJ ;;!; and Black does not get enough counterplay, Jobava­ Khamrakulov, Spain tt 2007; 1 l ...�e7!? is a similar plan with ... 0-0, as in the

analysis diagram

The queen switches to the kingside and becomes a secret weapon, but after 14. .i::i.e l ! (14.�f3 .2.cSoo Solak-Kruppa, Predeal tt 2007) 14 ... .2.cs l S .ltJfs 'iWh3? (1 5 ... .2.xf2+D) 1 6.lbxg7+ @e7 1 7.'ii'd4! ! White wins in a wonderful way, Parligras-Kruppa, Eforie Nord 2008; C) Some attractive tactical ideas have been seen in the line I I . .2.b3 �c7 12 . .2.gs tbe4 1 3.�M �d6 14.�g4 .2.xh2+ I S.Whl �f4!

.i ii .

.t

.i iii i.

•

ttJ � 'if 'iY' .i

analysis diagram

1 6.'iWxg7 'iWxM 1 7.�xh8+ @e7 1 8.tbf3 �h6 I 9.�xa8 lbg3+ 20.fxg3 �xg3+ 21 .@gl �e3+ 22.�hl 'll!Yh 6+ 1/2-1/2 Stean-Mestel, Llanelli ch-BCF play-off 1974; D) And, last but not least, l I . .2.e3 'ii'c 7!? 12.�d3 a6 (12 ... .2.d6!?) 1 3 .l:tel �d6 14.h3 0-0 1 5 . .2.gs �es 1 6.c3 h6 171

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 1 7.tt:'if3 i.xc3 1 8 . ncI hxg5 1 9.nxc3 i.c6= I.Armas-Vaganian, Germany Bundesliga 1 990/9 1 . 1 1 ... 'ifc7 A typical manoeuvre in this line, aiming to prepare a set-up with ... i.d6, con­ trolling the b8-h2 diagonal. A) Again, 1 1 ...iile7!? is a solid choice, after which some games finished after just a few more moves: 1 2 . .l:te! 0-0 (12 ...�c7 1 3 . .ib3 0-0 1 4.i.g5 tt:'id5 1 5 . i.xe7 tt:'ixe7 1 6 .�h5 .l:tad8 1/2-1/2 Balashov-Spassky, Munich 1 979) 1 3 . i.b3 .ic6 14 . .ig5 1/2-1/2 Adams-Seirawan, Bermuda m-5 2000; B) 1 1 ...0-0-0!? is a sharper and riskier option: 1 2 .'fif3?! (or else 12 . .ie3 �c7 1 3 .'fie2 tt:'ig4!? 1 4.�xg4 �xc4+:! Matanovic-Klinger, Vienna 1 986) 1 2 ...'tWc7 13 . .ib3 h5 (1 3 ... e5!) 14.'tWe2 tt:'ig4t.

ff!I"- WEAPON: 1 2 . i.b3?! offers aggressive play: 12 ... .id6 1 3.h3 and now: 13 ... i.h2+!? (we can always follow the standard plan, employed by former World Champion Tigran Petrosian: 1 3 ... 0-0 14.'tWe2 �h2+ 1 5 .f8 1/2-V2 Radulov-Petrosian, Moscow Ech­ tt 1 97 7) 14.'it>hl �f4 1 5 .�xf4 �xf4 16.�a4 0-0-0! (with a psy­ chological initiative!) 1 7. iil.xd7 + .ihd7 1 8.�b3 �hd8 19.'fia4?? e5!-+ and Black won the knight on d4, Erenburg-Izoria, Khanty­ Mansiysk 2005.

12 . 0-0-0!? Just in time. Let us check the other resources: A) 12 ... �d6 leads to positions with a slight but stable advantage for White: 1 3 .tt:'ib5!? �xb5 (13 ... �xh2+? 14.'it>hl 'tWe5 1 5.g3±) 14.�xb5+ 'it>e7 1 5 .g3 .l:!.hd8 (15 ...h5 16.h4!± Psakhis-Herzog, Vienna 1991) 1 6 . .l:!.el 'it>f8 (this manoeuvre does not change the character of the position) 1 7.'fif3!? (intending .ifl-g2), Adams-Sei­ rawan, Bermuda m-3 2000; B) Typical blunders are: 12 ... a6 1 3 .h3 .id6 14.tt:'if5?! �h2+ 1 5 .'it>hl 0-0 1 6 .tt:'ixg??? 'it>xg7 1 7.g3 .ixg3-+ Korneev-Fernandez Romero, Pamplona 2002. If 1 8.fxg3 �xg3 and ... i.c6+. ..

analysis diagram

A dream position in the 4 ...'tWxd5! variation. 1 5 .g3 e5 1 6.tt:'if3 h4!? 1 7. i.e3 hxg3 1 8.hxg3 tt:'ixe3 ! 1 9.'fixe3 .ic5 20.'tWxe5 i.c6! and Black has a winning initiative, Zapata-Klinger, Havana 1 986; C) Also popular is l 1 ...a6 with a quiet game: 1 2.'tWe2 i.e7 1 3 . i.g5 0-0 14.l:!'.adl �c7 1 5.f4 .l:!.fe8 16.'it>hl l:iad8= and Black won a queen ending on move 60, Adams-Andersson, Biel 1 9 9 1 . 1 2. 'ife2 Continuing to play natural moves. 1 72

Chapter 1 3 - A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . . cS 4.exd5 �xd5 1 3.a4 h5!? 13 ...t2lg4?! seems to be a mistake due to 14.g3 ! h5 1 5.�gS!t nes 1 6 .ttJbS with a huge advantage for White, Rachels-Zil.Rahman, Los Angeles 1 99 1 . 1 4. ltJb5 �xb5 1 5.axb5 �c5! Again, 1 S ...t2ig4?! is premature: 1 6.g3 ! �cs 1 7.Wg2 ( 1 7. .!:i.a4!? or 1 7.AgS!?, trans­ posing to Wolff-Bonin, Philadelphia 1 990) 1 7...'it>b8 (1 7...�eS 1 8 .h3 !±) 1 s.na4!±.

analysis diagram

This is a key game for white players. 1 8 ... J:1he8 1 9.h3 t2Jf6 20.�gS nd7 2 1 . nfa1 ttJds 22.�xdS ! .l::i.xds 23.�f4 eS 24.b4!+- (a decisive attack with the two b-pawns and the c-pawn) 24...�d7 25.�gS �b6 26.c4 .!:i.d3 27.cS �xbS 28.Wh2! Ac7 29. .!:i.xa7 Wc8 30 . .!:i.a8+ �b8 3 1 . .!:i.d l ! 1 - 0 Adams-Lautier, Biel 1 99 1 . 1 6. :&4! 1 6 .g3!? could be another key move in this line: 16 ... M 1 7. �f4! �e7 1 8 .b4 Ab6 and since Black threatens 1 9...tlJdS , White's reply 1 9. .l:!.fdl is forced, but then Black simplifies with 19 ... hxg3 20.hxg3 nxdl+ 2 1 ..l:!.xdl l:ld8!?, and with correct play he will achieve an equal position. 1 6 ... @bO Once more, the sortie 1 6 ... t2lg4 has no significance: 1 7.g3±. 1 7. �d3 1 7. �b3!? no games; 1 7.g3 t2id7!?+:t. 1 7 ... ltJg4 -

At this point we can already assess the outcome of the opening. White's attack has been delayed, his pieces are passive and the b- and c-pawns cannot advance yet. 1 8.g3 f5! In order to play ... h5-h4. 1 9. �g5 Some illustrative lines: A) 1 9.�xe6 nxd3 20.�f4 .!:i.d6 2 1 .�xfS g6+:t; B) 1 9.b4!? Ab6 (19 ... �xf2+ 20.nxf2 �xc3oo) 20.c4 (20.AxfSoo) 20 ... .l:i.d4!. 19 ...h4! 20. .b:dO :Xd8 21 .:Xg4 fxg4 22.b4 �b6 23.c4

23 ... 'ifd6?! This leads only to a draw. 23 ... hxg3! 24.cSD gxh2+ 25.Whl �d7! 26.cxb6 �xd3+ with winning chances in the endgame. 24.c5 'ii'xd3 25. 'it'xd3 :Xd3 26.cxb6 :b3 27.l:.e1 :Xb4 28.gxh4 :Xb5 29.bxa7+ @xa7 30.:Xe6 l:.h5 31 .l:.g6 :Xh4 32.:Xg7 @a6 33.@g2

173

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . 0J2 b5 34. ttga b4 35. .J:[bB was 36 . ..tg3 l:lh6 37.wxg4 :Xh2 38.f4 'iii>a4 39.fS b3 40.f6 .J:[f2 41 .@gS b2 42.f7 ..ta3 43. �96 rhf7 44. ..ti>xf7 112-112

Summary: As we have seen, the move 1 0 ... £.d7 is quite flexible, and it offers a good range of continuations and ideas with very dif­ ferent concepts. After ... 0-0-0, for Black it is very important to study the counter­ attacking set-up with ... h7-h5 and ...lLlf6g4 at every point in the game.

GAME 45 Michael Adams (2734) Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu (2693) Sofia 2007 (3)

This brilliant game is the last one in our study of the ...WVxdS variation and also the last game in Part Two. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. llld2 c5 4.exd5 'iVxd5 5.lllgf3 cxd4 6.i..c4 'iVd6 7.0-0 lllf6 8.lllb3 lllc6 9. lllbxd4 lllxd4 1 0.lllxd4 a6

The real idea behind this move is hard to understand (is it aggressive or defen­ sive?), but it is the most popular move in practice. It forestalls any tricks on bS and prepares the Sicilian-style advance ... b7b5. However, according to general rules, White should be able to take advantage of his lead in development, and he has to attack at any price. 1 1 . l:le1 ! ? 1 74

A forceful manoeuvre which obliges Black to abandon his original plans and to take good care of his e6-square. A) 1 1 .£.b3 is an unnecessary manoeuvre: 1 1 ...WVc7 12.WVf3 �d6 and now: 1 3 .�hl (an interesting idea, introduced in the game lvanchuk-Anand, Reggio Emilia 1 9 9 1 /92. 1 3 .h3 0-0 14.�gS tlJd7oo is the main line: 1 5 .c3 bS 16.�c2 �b7 1 7.WVhS g6 1 8 .WVM .l:i.fe8 19 . .l::!:fel lLlb6 20 . .l:i.e2 £.e7 and the position is equal, Tiviakov-Lalic, Port Erin 2005) 13 ... 0-0!? (13 ... �d7 14.£.gs �es 1 5 . .!d.adl h6 16.�h4 0-0 1 7. .l:i.fel ;;!;; Adams-Bareev, Wijk aan Zee 2004) 14.�gS lLld7 1 5 .c3 ltJes 16.WVhs lLlg6 1 7.�c2 h6 1 8.<1:Jf3 bS 1 9. .l:i.adl £.f4 20.£.xf4 lLlxf4 21 .WVes WVxeS 22.lLlxeS £.b7 23.f3 .i:Ifd8= and later the game was drawn; B) l l .b3 WVc7 12.£.b2 £.d6 1 3 .h3 (13.lLlf3 bS!? 14.£.d3 £.b7 with the idea 1 5.a4 0-0+±) 1 3...0-0 14.�e l bS 1 5. £.fl .i::!.d8 1 6.WVe2 �b7+ - this was the only game won by the former World Cham­ pion in the 4 ...'iVxdS variation, Lobron­ Petrosian, Plovdiv Ech-tt 1 983. 1 1 ... .td7 Compared to the position reached in the previous game, White has an active rook on el and Black has a pawn on a6. The other option is 1 1 ...WVc7!?. Generally speaking, the queen tends to conclude its manoeuvres (...WVxd5-d6-c7) with this move. 1 2 . �b3

analysis diagram

Chapter 1 3

-

A French-Scandinavian Hybrid: 3 . . . c5 4.exd5 'iVxd5

12 ... �d7 (12 ... �d6!? 13 .tlifs �xh2+ 14.Whl 0-0<=t is the most popular, most complicated line. It has been an­ alysed in many books and articles, but to my mind it is slightly weird and unnatural) 1 3 .'tWf3 �d6 14.h3 0-0-0 (the position is equal) 1 5 .c3 (15.�g5!? 'tics 16.�xf6 gxf6 1 7.'ti'xf6 l:!.hg8� S. Pavlov-Malakhatko, Kiev ch-city 2004) 1 S ... h6 16.a4 Wb8 1 7.�e2 gS<=t - this was one of the few games lost by the 'Terminator', Adams-Akopian, Las Vegas 1 999. 1 2 . .tgS!? A modern move, more aggressive than the alternatives.

.i .t. .t.

• .t .i .t .t. .t. .t. 'ii' .t. • �

analysis diagram

1 S . �xb7+!? ( 1 S . .i:!.c3 tlie4! 1 6 . �xd8 .i:!.xd8 1 7. �e2 tlixc3 1 8.bxc3 eS<=t) 1 S ...'ti'xb7? (after the correct capture 1 S . . . @xb7D White has a dangerous initiative in exchange for the sacri­ ficed piece, however, the position re­ mains complicated) 1 6 . �xf6 gxf6 1 7. l:i.c3 'tWb6 1 8 .'ti'hs es 1 9.tlib3, win­ ning, Venevtsev-Nakhapetian, Moscow 200 8 . 1 3.he6 ! ! Adams sacrifices his bishop to destroy the opponent's fortress .

.i 1 2 ... 'ifc5? This move allows a beautiful, but the­ matic combination. Castling queenside, 1 2 ... 0-0-0!?, is the main idea of the set-ups with an early 10 ... a6 or 10 ... �d7. Here it seems to be Black's best chance, but after 13 . .i:!.e3 ! the 'Capablanca Rook' goes mad and attacks along the third rank: 1 3 ...'ti'c7 (13 ...@b8? 14 . .i:!.b3! �c8 1 S .'ti'f3!± Asrian-Wang Hao, Taiyuan 2006) 14.�xa6!? (safer is 14.�e2 �cs 1 S.c3; or 14.�f3!? eS 1 S .�xf6 gxf6 16.tlib3 fS 1 7.�xf7, both with unclear play) 14 ... �cS! (not 14 ...bxa6? 1 S . .i:i.c3±; nor 14 ... �c6? 1 S . .i:!.c3! bxa6 16 . .l:txc6 and White soon converted his material advantage, Warakomski-Krensing, Pardubice 2007)

.t.

.t

.t. 'ii'

• .t .i .t. .t. .t. �Ji

ttJ

1 3 .. .fxe6 1 4. .txf6 gxf6 1 5.lillc:e6 .txe6 1 6. :Xe6+ .te7 The only defence. 16 ...@f7 loses even more quickly: 1 7.'ti'd7+ �e7 1 8 . .i:i.ael .i:i.he8 (1 8 ... .l:tae8 1 9.c3+-) 1 9.b4! �xb4 20.l:i.6e4+­ with a decisive advantage in all lines. 1 7.b4! A very strong resource which completely diverts the black queen.

1 7S

Part Two -Weapons and Dogmas: 3 . tt:Jd2 1 7... 'i!Vc3 1 7...�b5 1 8.�g4!; 1 7...�xb4 1 8 .I::rb l+-. 1 8. l:te3! 'i!Vc7 1 9. 'i!Vh5+ @1'8 20.llae1 -+

• 1.

•

'

White holds on to the initiative right to the end of the game. 20 ... l:te8 21 . 'i!Vh6+ @f7 22. 'i!Vh5+ @f8 23. 'i!Vh6+ ..t>f7 24.c3 24. .l::!.g 3!?.

24 ... l:thg8 25. 'i!Vxh7+ l:tg7 26. 'i!Vh5+ @f8 27.g3 27.h4!?. 27 ... 'i!Vd7 28.l:teG l:tg5 29. 'ifh8+ �f7 30. 'i!Vh7+ l:tg7 31 . 'i!Vh5+ l:tg6 32.c4!? Playing leisurely, as all the black pieces are pinned. 32 ... �g7 33. 'i!Vd5 'ifc7 34. 'ife4 @f7 35.c5 'i!Vd7 36. 'iff5 @g7 37. 'i!Ve4 @f7 38. 'irf5 @g7 39. 'i!Vh5 1 -0 After studying (and enjoying) several easy wins by grandmaster Michael Adams, I cannot understand the idea behind the popular advance 1 0 ... a6?!. It seems to be a significant waste of time that allows White to develop his initiative, forcing Black to revert to safer ideas, such as ... Ji..e 7, ... Ji..d 7 etc. (see again Games 43 and 44) .

..

Statistics/Summary of the 'Hybrid Line' 3 . ..c5 4.exd5 �xd5 Total MegaBase: 6857 games, White wins=25 14=56,5%, Black=l 628=43,5%, Draw=2 7 1 5 . A t the moment, this variation i s the most popular o f the exotic deviations after 3 . tt::ld2 . But it is also remarkable that lately there have been no wildly courageous heroes in these lines. We see only terminators and their victims. Dogmas and Weapons After studying this chapter of weapons versus 3 .tt::ld 2, you can use the following repertoire with the black pieces: against Vasily Ivanchuk, respond with the authentic 3 ...tt::lf6. against Michael Adams, revert to tactics with 3 ... �e7. and finally, against Tarrasch, use the wild ideas of the Scandinavian-style 3 ... c5 4.exd5 �xd5. Good luck with your combats! •

•

•

Postscriptum - Opinion about 3.tt:Jd.2 Normally the move 3 .tt::ld 2 against the French Defence is used by players who do not want to fight for a serious advantage in the opening, but prefer balanced positions, hoping to profit from their technical ability. See the games of grandmasters like Adams, Tiviakov, Karpov and others. Statistically speaking, during the last 1 0 - 1 5 years most of the world's best players have hardly ever placed their knight on the d2-square. They prefer developing it at c3. This may be the most accurate move, and we will study it in the next two Parts. 1 76

Part Three

French Magic Classical System - 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. tt:Jc3 tt:Jf6 A Repertoire for White and for Black

Directions We already know that French Magic works from the very first moves. After l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS White must spend an important tempo on defending, sacrificing, exchanging or advancing his e4-pawn. Therefore the game can very soon become quite complicated ... 3.<1Jc3 - a good move at last! However, Black can reply in vintage French style with 3 ... <1Jf6 and the discussion continues! Chapters 14- 16 (C l l) offer a wide range of the main resources after 4.eS <1Jfd7 (see the directions given in Chapter 14). Chapter 1 7 (C1 2) 'A Legendary Pin': the Maccutcheon 4.�gS �b4 completes Black's repertoire in the Classical French. Chapter 1 8 (Cl I) 'Russian Roulette': White sacrifices his centre with 4.eS <1Jfd7 and now S.<1Jf3 (White repertoire), a position that usually arises from the Two Knights Variation 2.<1Jf3 dS 3 .<1Jc3 '1Jf6 4.eS <1Jfd7 S.d4. The first World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz ( 1 8 3 6 - 1 900) was the inventor of the move 4.eS against the Classical System 3 . 1Lic3 t2Jf6.

1 77

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4- dS 3 . tllc 3 tl:lf6

Chapter 14

-

Morozevich's Resources

The author in Yearbook 98: ' ... I can fully understand the concentration by many chess authors and players on the suggestions of Rybka. However, as a long-time French Defence fan and author of two books on the opening, I feel obliged to give a warning: chess engines and players with the highest Elo - with the exception of Morozevich! - have never been the best helpers for learning this complex opening.' Practical possibilities in the classical line 3.l0c3 tllf6 4.e5 tllfd7

Directions I Resources In the diagram position there are at least six main directions (2 for White and 4 for Black) and some deviations. A) S.tl:ice2 (Game 46) B) S.f4 cS 6.tLlf3 tl:ic6 7.�e3 a6 8.�d2 bS (Game 47) C) S.f4 cS 6.tLlf3 tl:ic6 7.�e3 cxd4 8.tl:ixd4 �cs (Game 48) D) S.f4 cS 6.tLlf3 tl:ic6 7.�e3 'ilib6 (Game 49) F) S.f4 cS 6.tl:if3 tl:ic6 7.�e3 �e7 (a modern alternative to Black's 2nd and 3rd options, Chapter 1 5) F) S.f4 cS 6.tLlf3 tl:ic6 7.�e3 cxd4 8.tLlxd4 �b6 (another personal story about the early queen sortie ...'iYb6, Chapter 1 6). We will give a brief description of the typical games and strategic ideas for both sides. Apparently, Morozevich is delighted to play these positions with either colour. We will observe that Morozevich's typical tactical resource in many games is the 'Black Jet' advance ... g7-g5 , but he prepared it specially for the 'Roulette' tourna­ ment in Monaco. •

•

A) S.tLlce2 This manoeuvre maintains the possibility of the 'Pawn Wedge' seen in Part Two, Chapter 1 1 . Transpositions lead to similar examples. I think the most interesting way for Black to create counterplay after S.tl:ice2 cS 6.c3 tLlc6 7.f4 is 7...'iYb6!? 8.tl:if3 f6!?. 1 78

Chapter 1 4

i. .i. * .i. ii � i 'iV � i i ii8 8 8 8 t2J 88 t2J 8 g, � iY � �

-

Morozevich 's Resources: 4.e5 tbfd7

K i

8 :g

And then he continues depending on the circumstances (Game 46). B - S.f4 cS 6.ffi tbc6 7.�e3 a6 8. 'iYd2 bS

This is a solid, important plan in the Classical Variation: Black plays ...a7-a6 and ... b7-b5, preparing an attack similar to those in the Sicilian Defence, especially when castling takes place on opposite sides. One of Black's possible resources is the knight manoeuvre ...tbc5-tbe4!?. Common replies for White are: 9.a3/ dxc5/�e2/h4 (Game 47). •

•

C) The popular line 7 .. cxd4 8.tbxd4 �cs .

The hero of the French Defence: the Russian grandmaster Alexander Morozevich (born 1 9 7 7 ) . He often chooses less popular lines. aiming for a complicated fight.

1 79

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 tt:Jf6 After 9.°iYd2 0-0 1 0.0-0-0 Black looks for counterplay on all sides (Game 48). D- The classical deviation 7 'iVb6 •••

,,,-. PUZZLE: This is an almost forgotten idea. However, after many replies (ex­ cept for 8 .tlJa4), Black can transpose into the modern variation by choosing ... cxd4!? (Game 49 and Chapter 1 6).

1 80

Chapter 1 4 - Morozevich 's Resources: 4.e5 tLJfd7

Morozevich's Resources - Games GAME 46 Alexander Morozevich (2590) Viktor Moskalenko (2535) Moscow m 1 994 (2)

This is a game I played during a private match against Alexander Morozevich. It was an agreement between us and a sponsor, and also a match intended to improve his strength before playing some important tournaments. 'Moro' is a very ambitious and aggressive player, and when playing he does not just enjoy winning the game, he also wants to destroy his opponent's mind! During play he applies a lot of pressure and looks aggressively into his opponent's eyes - in my opinion, a bad tendency that arose in the era of Tai, continued in the Fischer­ Spassky match and further developed by Karpov and Kasparov. I felt quite uncom­ fortable in the Central Chess Club of the Russian capital... 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 The most aggressive move against the French Defence, and the most popular. 3 ... tlJf6 The main alternative is the Winawer Variation 3 ... £.b4!? - see Part Four. 4.e5 For the legendary Maccutcheon system 4. £.gs £.b4 see Chapter 1 7. 4... tlJfd7

5.ttJce2

Similarly to the idea of the 'Pawn Wedge' (see Part Two, Chapter 1 1), White chooses a plan which strengthens his pawn structure in the centre, at the same time preparing an attack on the kingside. However, Black can profit from his lead in development by starting counterattacks all over the board. PUZZLE: Here there are possible transpositions to the line with s .tLice2, for example: 5.f4 cs 6 .lbf3 tLlc6 7.tLle2.

analysis diagram

And now 7...�b6. I think that this move is more interesting and dynamic, since it attacks d4, prevents £.e3 and retains certain tactical chances, such as .. .f7-f6/... g7-g5 (7... £.e7 has also been played: 8 .c3 0-0 but it's a bit slower; also, 7...bS!?, gaining a tempo by omitting ... a7-a6: 8.c3 b4+:t, see also the Weapon on move 7): 8.c3 (8.g3 cxd4 9.lbexd4 tLlcS+:t) 8 .. .f6!? (8 ... £.e7 would be the waiting move) 9.g3 (the only way to get the bishop out and castle) 9 ... cxd4 (opening up the centre by 9 ... fxeS ! ? is interesting) 1 0.cxd4 (after this move Black gets many tactical possi­ bilities. IO.tLlexd4!?; in the main game I played the early 7... cxd4 in order to avoid this option. However: 1 0 .. .fxeS 1 1 .tLlxe6 lbcs l 2.lbxf8 �g4!+:t Mrdja­ Stella, Cesenatico 2012) I O .. .fxeS 1 1 .fxeS �b4+ 12.tLlc3D 0 - 0 1 3 .�f4. 181

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tlX3 tllf6

E .t .t .t � 'iV � .t .t 8 .t 8 � ttJ ttJ 8 88 8 n 'if � M analysis diagram

The critical position. Black has two op­ tions: A) The combination 1 3 ...tlld xeS!? leads to a drawn position by force: 1 4.gxeS tllxe5 1 5 .tllxe5 Axc3+ 1 6.bxc3 �b2 1 7.'iVc! 'ii'f2+ 1 8 .Wdl 'ii'xfl+ 1 9. .!:txfl .!:txfl+ 20.Wd2 1:1xc! 2 1 .l:1xc! b6 22 . .!:tfl l:1b8 23.I:!.f7 l:tb7 24. .l::i.xb7 Axb7= Robson-Meier, Lubbock 2010; B) 1 3 ... Ae7 with the idea ... g7-g5: 14.a3! � TRICK: If immediately 14.lba4? W White can find himself in trouble after 14 ...'i!Vb4+! 1 5.Ad2 lbdxeS!!+ etc. 14 ... g5 1 5.lba4! 'irfd8 16.ge3;;!;; Homuth­ Krause, Schleswig Holstein 1 9 9 1 . 5 ...c5 6.c3

E � .t 'iV • .t E .t .t � .t .t .t .t .t .t 8 8 8 tt:J 8 8 8 88 n � iV � tt:J :&I 6 ... lbc6 l'fl"'- WEAPON: In the sixth round of the match I tried to equal­ ize immediately with 6 ... cxd4!? 7.cxd4 f6 8.tllf4!? ..tb4+ 9.Ad2

1 82

�xd2+ 1 0 .'ifxd2 'i!Ve7 l 1 .exf6 lbxf6 1 2 . �d3 lbc6 ! 3 .tllg e2 0-0 14.0-0 �d7 1 5 . l:tadl °iVd6 16.�bl l:tae8 1 7.tlld3 eS= 6th Morozevich-Moskalenko, match game, Moscow 1994. 7.f4 The key moment. Now Black must choose his plan. 7.lbf3 led to a spectacular game against another attacking player: 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.lLJf4 gb4+ 10.�d2 'ife7 l l . �xb4 'ifxb4+ l 2.'iYd2 'iYe7! (Black is fight­ ing for the initiative) 1 3.exf6 lLJxf6 14.Ad3 lLJe4! 1 5 .'ife3 ! 'iYb4+ 1 6.Wfl 0-0 1 7.l:tel (1 7.�xe4 dxe4 1 8.'iYxe4 (17...�d6!?) 1 7...'ifxb2 'iYxb2;:Z) (1 7... �d7!?) 1 8 .�xe4 dxe4 1 9.'ifxe4 'ifxa2 20.g4? lbb4?! (20 ... eS!+:) 2 1 .l:1e2 'ifa5 22.h4 lLJd5 23.lLJg5 lLJf6 24.V!Hd3 b6 25.lLJh5 g6 26.lLJxh7 Wxh7 27.lbf4 �a6 (27...lLJxg4!-+) 28.'ifxg6+ Wh8 29.°iVh6+ lLJh7 30.lLJg6+ 'i£tg8 3 1 .lLJe7+ Wh8 32.tllg 6+ 1/2- 1/2 Velimirovic­ Moskalenko, Belgrade 1988. 7 ... cxd4! ? Of course, there are many possibilities here (take another look at the transposi­ tions to 7.lLJe2 mentioned after 5.tllce2): 7... b5 8.a3 c4!?.

.t'iV •.t E � .t .t .t � .t .t .t 8 .t. 8 8 8 8 8 ttJ 8 8 n � 'iV � tt:J :&I

E .t

analysis diagram

We recommend the blockading idea of Botvinnik and Petrosian, see Part Two, Game 3 1 . 9.lLJf3 lLJb6 1 0.g4 h5! l l .gxh5 .!:txh5 1 2.lLJg3 .!:th8=F. Black has

Chapter 1 4 better chances to attack on both flanks, Robson-Akobian, Saint Louis 201 0 . 8.cxd4 8 .tl:lxd4 allows 8 ...tl:lcS , activating Black's passive knight. 8 . 'iVb6 tfl"- WEAPON: 8 .. .fS is an attempt to block the centre and play on the flanks: 9.tl:lf3 .ke7 1 0.g3 tl:lb6 l l .b3 .kd7 1 2 . �h3 0-0 1 3 .0-0 as 1 4.a4 tl:lb4 1 S . �e3 tl:lc8 (preparing ... b7-bS) 1 6 .g4! bS!. ..

-

Morozevich 's Resources: 4.e5 tLlfd7

1 0.a3 Preventing the check on b4. tfl"- WEAPON: The possibility of 1 0 .tl:lc3 is available only af­ ter the early exchange ... cxd4: 1 0 ... �e7 l l .�d3 0-0 1 2 .a3 fxeS 1 3.tl:la4 (13.fxeS? .t!.xf3! 14.�xf3 fHxd4t) (1 3 .dxeS tl:lcS!<=t) 1 3 ...°ifc7 1 4.dxeS bS!?<=t Hellers­ Andersson, Haninge m-4 1 993. 1 0 .2.e7! ? 1 0 .. .fxeS 1 1 .fxeS $..e 7 1 2.tLlf4 0-0!?co R.Spielmann-Menchik, Margate 1 938. 1 1 . lllc3 A reasonable move. White is behind in development and he prepares �d3/�e2/0-0. TRICK: There is no time to play 1 l .g3?! 0-0 12.�h3 (12.exf6 tl:lxf6 1 3 . �g2 tl:le4t Tischbierek­ Knaak, Zittau ch-GDR 1 989) 12 ... fxeS! 1 3 . �xe6+ (13.dxeS tl:lcSt) 1 3 ...@h8. ...

t(

analysis diagram

Both sides launch their attacks: 1 7.axbS -2.xbS 1 8.tl:lgS (an aggressive jump) 1 8 ... �xgS (1 8 ... .l::!.a 6!?) 1 9.fxgS tl:le7 20.°ifd2? (looks natural, but it is a serious mistake: 20.gxfS tl:lxfS<=t) 20 ... .l::!.c 8!t 2 1 ..l::!.fcl £.xe2! 22.'ifxe2 f4!+ and White's bishops are out of the game! Fernandez Aguado-Moskalenko, Sanes Open 2006. 9. tllf3 f6!

Black wants to open up the centre.

analysis diagram

White has no good move: 14.�xd7 .2.xd7 l S .dxeS �g4-+ Tuncer-Luther, Deizisau 1 997. l l .h4 is slightly odd, but aggressive: 1 1 ...0-0 (1 1 .. .tLlaS!?) 1 2 . l:lh3 fxeS (12...tl:laS!?:'F) 1 3.fxeS .l::!.fS!? (prepar­ ing to sacrifice the knight on eS, which is typical for this kind of position) 14.tl:lf4 tZ:lcxeS l S .dxeS tl:lxeS 1 6.tl:ld4 .l:tf7� with mutual chances, Nijboer­ M.Gurevich, Escaldes Zonal 1 998. 1 83

Part Three

-

Classical System: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . lLx3 tbf6

1 1 ...0-0 1 2. c!Lia4 'ifc7 1 3. �d3

This position was presumably well prepared by Alexander and his trainer. Morozevich played his moves very quickly and without hesitation. 1 3 ... ttJbG This reply is more solid than the knight sacrifices on e5 or d4.

� WEAPON: However, the possibil­

ities after 13 .. .fxe5!? are highly in­ teresting: 14.fxe5? (14.dxe5 b5!?+:t Andersson) 14 ... �xf3! 1 5.gxf3 (15.�xf3 tbxd4 1 6 .�h3 �xe5+ 1 7.�e3 �h4+!t) 1 5 ...tt:Jxd4 1 6.f4 tbxe5!

My idea was to block the centre and play on the queenside. 1 6. llg1 Starting an attack on the enemy king. 1 6 ... �ee The bishop goes to g6 in order to main­ tain the blockade. 1 7.h3 .:tee 1 B.g4 �gG! 1 9.tllg3 fxg4! 20.hxg4 hd3 Now that the light-squared bishops are gone, Black can breathe more easily! 21 . 'ifxd3 c!Lia5 22.b4 There is no time to play 22 . .l:rhl?! because of 22 ...�c2! with a great advantage. 22 ... 'ifc4! Exchanging the queens as well is the best option. 23. 'ifxc4 c!Liaxc4 24.f5 c!Lia4 25.�g5! �xg5 26.ttJxg5 exf5 27.gxf5 lbe3 28.lbeG

analysis diagram

1 7.0-0 (1 7.fxe5 �xe5+ 1 8.Wf2 �d7-+) 1 7...tt:Jxd3 1 8.�xd3 �f6 1 9.�d2 �d7 and Black is winning, Vergun­ A.Rabinovich, Rimavska Sobota jr 1 996. 1 4. ttJc3 �d7 1 5. lbe2 If 1 5.0-0 then 1 5 .. .f5!?. 1 5 ...f5!? 1 84

It seems as if White has the initiative, but calm down, there are still some re­ sources available to Black. 28 ... l:r.c2!

Chapter 1 4 - Morozevich 's Resources: 4.e5 tLlfd7 A very strong reply. We have counter­ play! I did not like the 28 ...tLlc2+ check be­ cause of 29.Wf2 tLlxal 30.tLlxf8 l:!.c2+ 3 1 .Wf3 \t>xf8 32 . .l:l:xa l ;!:; and the white king is more active. 29.tllf 1 ? Perhaps this was brought on by nerves, but I think that my opponent had not expected such a fierce struggle. A) If 29.tLlxf8 tLlb2! 30 . .i:!.dl tLlbxdl 3 1 .tLle6 tLlb2f; B) A better option was 29.f6 tLlg2+ 30 . .l:l:xg2 .ld.xg2 3 1 .tLlxf8 Wxf8 32.l::rc l=, or C) 29.tLle2 tLlb2 30.l:!.xg?+ \t>h8 3 1 . .l:l:xh?+ Wxh7 32.tLlxf8+ Wg8 33.Wfl tLlbdl+ 34.Wel tLlb2 with a draw. 29 ... tllxf5!

This exchange sacrifice is decisive. 36. @xc2 tllxd4+ 37.@d1 tlle4

The two black knights are very strong in the centre of the board. 38. l:tg2 tllc3+ 39.@e1 tllb3 There are no squares available for the rook. 40. tlle3 tllx a1 41 . tllf5 l:r.c7 42.eG g6! My opponent resigned at last and left the room at once...

Summary: After 5/7.tLlce2 White is behind in de­ velopment, so in many cases knight sac­ rifices on e5 or d4 will favour Black. The blockade with .. .f7-f5 or ...b7-b5/. .. c5-c4 offers him a solid game. In the main line, I think the best move order is first ...�b6/. . .f7-f6 , etc. 30. �d1 ? 30.tLlxf8 was the only move, to which Black replies 30 ...t2Jxd4, with the initi­ ative. 30 ... l:tf2 Instead, 30 ... !tfc8! was winning. I saw this move, but I wanted to save time on the clock! 31 .@e1 l:tc2 32.@d1 .l:.f2 We repeated moves in time-trouble. 33. @e1 l:tc2 34.@d1 White couldn't claim a draw here, as on move 30 he still had the right to castle! 34 ... l:tfcB! Finally the winning move. 35.tllc5 tllxc5!

GAME 47 Karsten Rasmussen (2485) Viktor Moskalenko (2575) �Estartit Open 2007/08 (5)

This game is typical for the Classical French with 3 .tLlc3 tLlf6. Apart from the opening, we should take note of the high-level middlegame and also of the classic endgame, which helps us to understand the chances for both sides better. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. tllc3 tllf6 4.e5 tllfd7 5.f4 c5 6. tllf3 tllc6 7 . ..te3

1 85

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tt:Jc3 tl'if6

K .t 'iV <@i .t ii � ii � i ii8 8 8 ttJ iii. ttJ 888 8 l:r 'li' � �

:i i

8 l:r

7 . a6! ? An important idea in this system, pre­ paring the advance ... b7-b5. I discovered this plan in the 1980s. 7... cxd4 - see next game and Chapter 16; 7...'iVb6 - see Game 49; 7... Ji.e7 is another old, natural method, recently popular again - see Chapter 1 5 . 8. 'ifd2 The most flexible reply, keeping all op­ tions open. 8.tl'ie2 would be similar to Game 46, aiming to consolidate the d4-square at the cost of delaying queenside develop­ ment: 8 ...'iVb6 9.'iVcl .

.

.i

.t • i � iii i 'ii' � i ii8 8 8 � tt:J tlJ 8 8 � � l:r analysis diagram

ttJ-- WEAPON: 9...g5!? A well-known resource in the French, but also in accordance with Morozevich 's creative style. (The typical break 9 .. .f6 also leads to a fierce struggle for the central squares, for instance: 1 0.c3 Ji.el l l .g3 0-0 12.Ji..h3 cxd4 1 3.cxd4 fxe5 14.Ji..x e6+ Wh8i 1 86

and the black king finds a really safe square) 1 0.c3 (10.fxgS cxd4 l l .tl'iexd4 tl'icxe5�) 1 O ...cxd4 1 l .cxd4 Ji..b4+ 1 2.Wf2 f6! . Black radically solves the problems in finding counterplay and it is difficult for White to find a continua­ tion over the board: 1 3.g3 (1 3 .exf6 tl'ixf6 14.tl'ixg5 .!:f.g8 1 5 .Wgl Ji..d 7�) 1 3 ... g4! (1 3 ... .!:f.f8 14.Wg2oo Topalov-Morozevich, Morelia/Linares 2007) 14.tl'ih4 fxe5 1 5.fxe5 tl'idxe5! 16.dxe5 d4i Predojevic­ Morozevich, Sarajevo 2008. 8 .. b5 .

:. .t 'iV e � iii i � i iii8 8 8 ttJ � tt:J 88 8 8 8 'li' � � l:r l:r :.

9.a3 A matter of fashion. Those who have no time to study, and who do not have an opinion of their own, follow the fashion. A) In former times 9.dxc5 used to be the main reply: 9... Axc5 10.Ji.xc5 tl'ixc5 l I .'iYf2 ...

:i

.t 'if •

i

� i i�i8

:i iii

8 tlJ 'J/1 8 8 � � l:r analysis diagram

... and now:

Chapter 14 - Morozevich 's Resources: 4.e5 ttJfdl ....-- TRICK: The standard 1 1 ...'iYel?! is 11 a weak move: 1 2 . �d3 b4 1 3 .tbe2 aS 14.0-0 �a6 I S .�e3!;\; with the idea I S ... 0-0?? 16.�xhl+! (a thematic sacrifice) 16 ... @xhl I l.tbgs+ @g6 18.fS + and mate in four, Svidler-Renner, Germany Bundesliga B 200 1 /02. l I ...�b6 has a different idea: 1 2 . �d3 l::!.b 8 1 3 .0-0 tba4 (Black proposes to enter an endgame) 14.tl:Jxa4 bxa4 I S .b3 �dl (or I S ...el 16.l:f.fbl a3 l l.c3 �xf2+ 1 8.c;£;>xf2 aS!+:t Videki-Moskalenko, Balatonbereny 1 994) 1 6.bxa4 'iYxf2+ ll.c;£;>xf2 l:1b4 1 8 .e3 @el 19.l::!.fbl with an equal game, De la Riva Aguado­ Ulibin, Zaragoza 1993; B) The attacking player's choice has always been 9.h4 b4 1 0 .tbe2 �el (10 ... c4!?) 1 1 .dxcS tbxcS!+:t Anand­ Morozevich, Monaco (blind) 2004; C) But the computer move is 9.�e2 �bl!? (9 ... 'fHb6 10.tl:JdI b4 1 1 .0-0 aS+:t Svidler-Morozevich, Monaco rapid 200S) 1 0.0-0 �e7 1 1 .@hl 0-0 l 2.a3 �cl 13 . .!:!.ael .!:!.ac8 14.�d3 cxd4 1 s.tl:Jxd4 tl:Jcs and the position is equal, Nijboer-Visser, Tilburg 2003. 9 'Wb6 A) 9... �bl!? is another positive move: Al) After 1 0.dxcS gxcS 1 1 .hcS tbxcS Morozevich showed in the following game that he favours dynamic factors (rapid de­ velopment) over static ones (exchange of the dark-squared bishops): 12.�d3 b4+:t 1 3.tbe2 (after this voluntary retreat, all the aspects mentioned in the previous com­ ment seem to become valid: 1 3 ...'li'b6 14.�e3?! d4! - a thematic pawn sacrifice in order to activate the pieces, Svidler­ Morozevich, Morelia/Linares 2001; A2) 10.�e2 'fHb6 1 1 .tbdl l::!.c 8 l 2.c3 cxd4 1 3 .tl:Jxd4 tl:JcS!+:t Almasi-Cao Sang, Nyiregyhaza ch-HUN 2008; A3) 10.g3 �aS!? I 1 .l::!.a 2 'iYcl!?+:t Paikidze-Malakhatko, St Petersburg 201 0 ; ...

A4) 1 0.tbe2 �cl!? l l .g3 cxd4 1 2.tl:Jfxd4 tl:Jxd4 1 3 .tbxd4 tbcS!+:t Lopez Martinez-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2008; AS) 1 O.�d3 �cl 1 1 .0-0 0-0-0 (there are not enough games here to draw any conclusions, but this seems to be risky) 12.tbdl ? cxd4 1 3.tbxd4 gS!?.

i

i

analysis diagram

The 'Black Jet' in Monaco? The rest is almost forced! 14.tbxc6 �xc6 1 S . �d4 gxf4 1 6.�xf4 l::!.g 8 I l.tbe3 [6 1 8.exf6 es 19.fl l::!.xg2+ 0-1 Svidler-Morozevich, Monaco blind 2001. B) 9 ... cxd4 introduces play similar to the next game: 1 0.tbxd4 tbxd4 l l . �xd4 �cs

E

1- iV • .. i i i i i 1. i 8 � 8 8 tlJ 8 8 8 V//J @� .:

E i

8 .:

analysis diagram

1 2.0-0-0 (12.�xcS tbxcS 1 3.'fHf2 �cl 14.�d3 0-0 I S.0-0 f6+:t Perpinya Rofes-Moskalenko, Sabadell 2008) 1 2 ... �bl 1 3.h4 0-0 14.�e3 �xd4 1 S . .!:!.xd4 f6!? 1 6.exf6 �xf6 l l.g3 .l:r.ae8 1 8 . �h3 tl:Jb8!? 1 9.'iVd2 tl:Jc6 20.l::!.d 3 1 81

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tt:Jc3 tt::lf6 tt::la S 2 1 ..l:i.el tt::lc4i Kogan-Moskalenko, La Gomera 2006; C) The French experts' choice has al­ ways been the more aggressive 9 ... gS.

.i

i. � - � .. i i .. i iii8 i 8 8 8 ttJ � tt:J l:i 8 £'.i iY, 2:1 'it> �

1 3 ... �b7 1 4.0-0 tbe4!? A common manoeuvre in these posi­ tions. 1 S. 'ife2 tllxd4 1 6.tllxd4 16.�xd4 �cS+:t . 1 6 ... �cs 1 7.c3 o-o

li 2:1

analysis diagram

A dubious blow, but prepared by Morozevich especially to play a 'Black Jet' roulette game in Monaco! 1 0.fxgS (10.tt::lxgS cxd4 l 1 . �xd4 tt::lxd4 1 2.'ti'xd4 £.cs 1 3.'ti'd2 'ti'b6�) 1 0 ... cxd4 l 1 .tt::lxd4 (the main reply. The stem game continued l 1 ..G..xd4 �g7 12.0-0-0oo Anand-Morozevich, Monaco (blind) 2005) 1 1 ...tt::lcxeS!? (1 1 ...tt::ldxeS 1 2 . �e2 h6 1 3 .g6!i) 12 . .G..d 3 �b7 1 3.0-0 �g7 14.tt::lce2 0-0 l S.tt::lg 3 and White is better, Li Chao-Ding Liren, Beijing zt 2009. 1 0. tbe2 'ifc7!?

.i

i. • i. .i � .. i i i i .. i i i i l:i � 8 8 � tt:J 8 8 'iY tt:J 8 8 2:1 � � 2:1 1 1 .g3 cxd4 Of course Black can also wait before ex­ changing and develop his bishops first. 1 2. tbexd4 tllcS 1 3. �d3 _.; TRICK: 1 3.°iYc3 i.d7 14.tt::lxbS W axbS 1 5 . i.xcS b4!+.

1 88

I think that this position is equal. How­ ever, if White tries to open up the game his king will be in a dangerous position. 1 8 . .t[fc1 Or l 8.a4 bxa4! l 9 . .l:i.xa4 aS=. 18 ... l:tfc8 1 9.a4 bxa4 20. :Xa4 aS 21 Jka1 g6 2 1 ...°iYb6!?. 22.tllb3 �b6! 23. �bS tllc S!? A provocative manoeuvre. 23 ... �a6!+. 24.tllxcs hes 2S.�d4 25.'ti'f2 �xe3 26.'i¥xe3 .l:i.cb8+:t. 2S ... �xd4+ 26.:Xd4 'ifb6 27.l:.82 �c6 28. �xc6 �c6 29. <;i;>g2 Some small problems are starting to ap­ pear. 29 ... .:b8 30.@h3 :cs 3 1 . l:tda4 l:tbSi

Chapter 1 4

-

Morozevich 's Resources: 4.e5 ttJfd7

This is what I had hoped for from this line. Now the white king is quite weak. 32.c4 dxc4 33. 'ii'xc4 'iti>g7! A very useful manoeuvre, preparing a bold attack by the h-pawn. 33 ... .l:i.d8!?; 33 ...�gl ! ?. 34. 'ii'e2 In time-trouble dangers in the position are better hidden. 34.�d4 �c6+. 34... hS!-+-

'if i .I g

i 8

g t::,

The key position in this line. 1 0... a6 Preparing ... b7-bS.

i !;i i i 8 8 r:J;; 8

A fresh resource. 35.1i'd2 J:[dS 36. 'ii'e 1 'ti'd8 36 ... h4! . 37. .l:e4 37.l::[x aS .l:i.dl 38.�e4 h4 39 . .l:i.a8 hxg3-+. 37... h4! 0-1 White should be losing in many ways, but the most elegant would have been ... on time!

GAME 48 Dmitry Yakovenko (271 0) Alexander Morozevich (2755) Moscow ch-city 2007 ( 1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lLic3 ll:if6 4.es ll:ifd7 5.f4 cs 6.lLif3 lLic6 7. i..e3 cxd4!? After this exchange Black wants to exert pressure on d4 with his pieces. 8.lLlxd4 i..c5 A sharp line arises after 8 ...�b6!? - see Chapter 1 6 . 9 . 'ifd 2 0-0 1 0.0-0-0

,.,.,,,.. WEAPON: 10 ... tllxd4!? l l .�xd4 a6 is an idea that deserves at­ tention: 1 2 .@bl (12.�f2, see the main game) 12 ...bS 1 3 . �xcS (13.tlle2 �b6 14.�e3 b4� Ya . G e l l e r - N e p o m n i a c h t c h i , Dagomys 2004) 1 3 ...tllxcS 14.'i¥d4 'Y!Vb6!? 1 S.a3 l:tb8!

analysis diagram

1 6.g3 b4! 1 7.axb4 �xb4 1 8.�xb4 .l::i.xb4 19.tlla 2 .l:!.b6 20 . .l::!.d4 aS 2 1 .b3 �d7 22.�g2 .ld.fb8f Kruppa-Moskalenko, Chernigov 1 985. 1 1 . ti'f2 This move was brought back into fashion by Kramnik, after he scored a very con­ vincing win with it over Radjabov in Linares. A) The advance l 1 .h4!? is always rele­ vant: 1 1 ...tllxd4 1 2 . �xd4 bS 1 3.hS 1 89

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tllc 3 tlJf6

.t 'if �

.i

i. . 111

l

l l .t. 1 8 8 � 8 ttJ 8 8 8 VJ!i 8 � :ti: � :ti:

a5! 16.a3 b5 1 7.g4+:t with a double-edged position, Svidler-Morozevich, Moscow ch-RUS Superfinal 2005. 1 1 ... 'ii'e7!?

analysis diagram

13 ... b4 (13 ... �b7 is also playable: 14.h6 g6 1 5 .�e3 �c8 16.�xc5 tt:Jxc5 1 7.ld'.d4 'lte7 1 8 .Wbl nc7 1 9.g3 b4! 20.tt:Jd1 a5 2 1 .tt:Jf2 a4 22.£,g2 .i:l.'.fc8+ A.Ivanov-Moskalenko, Frunze 1 987) 14.c1:Je2 (14.tlJa4 �xd4 15.'ltxd4 "iYa5 16.b3 gb7oo with the idea 1 7... gc6, De la Riva Aguado-Campos Gambuti, Barcelona 1993) 14... a5 1 5."iYe3 "iYc7! 16.�bl ga6 1 7.gxc5 c1:Jxc5 l 8.tlJg3 (covering the e4-square; 1 8.c1:Jd4 a4 1 9.�xa6 nxa6 20.f5 tlJe4 2! .'ltf4 a3-+) 1 8 ... .l::!.fc8 19.l:rcl a4 20.�xa6 .l:i.xa6 2 1 .�hdl a3 22.b3 nc6t and soon after, Black won the game, Topalov­ Morozevich, Sarajevo 1 999; B) l I .c1:Jce2 White's idea is to exchange the dark-squared bishops, reducing Black's attacking potential on the queen­ side: l !..."iYe7 1 2 .tlJb3 �xe3 1 3.'ltxe3 f6!.

i.

.t.

i. . � 'if 1 1 l � 11 18 8 'iY ttJ 8 8 8 ttJ 8 8 � :ti: � :ti: l

analysis diagram

Starting counterplay in the centre. l 4.exf6 c1:Jxf6 1 5.h3 (White has to waste a tempo since ...c1:Jg4 is not easy to meet: 1 5.tlJed4 c1:Jg4 l 6."iYf3 c1:Jxd4 l 7.c1:Jxd4 e5!+:t) 1 5 ... 1 90

An important improvement: the queen is much better placed on e7. A) l l ...tt:Jxd4 is rather different: 12.�xd4 'ifc7?! 13.�d3 b5 14.�h4!, with the idea to create a couple of weaknesses on the kingside and to push his pawns to open up the position of the black king, Kramnik-Radjabov, Linares 2003; B) l l ...gxd4!? 12.gxd4 b5 1 3.�e3! (13.gd3 b4 14.c1:Je2 aS+:t Kharitonov­ Iliushin, Krasnoyarsk ch-RUS 2003) 1 3 ... �b7!? (much better than 1 3 ... b4 14.c1:Ja4! a5 15.h4! ga6 16.h5t Ragger­ Stellwagen, Yerevan Wch-jr 2007) 14.�d3 f6 (14 ... c1:Jb4!? Kramnik-Shirov, Monaco blind 2003) 1 5.exf6 'ltxf6+:t Dominguez Perez-Narciso Dublan, Barcelona 2007. 1 2 . .td3 1 2 .�bl c1:Jxd4 1 3 .gxd4 b5 Radjabov­ Ivanchuk, Morelia/Linares 2008. 12 . fG 1 3.exfG lbxf6 ..

Chapter 1 4 1 4.h3 14 . .l:!.hel? <1Jg4 1 5.tbxc6 'ti'f6!+. 1 4... .id6 1 S . .l:hf1 1 5 .@bl !?. 1 S ... .id7 1 6. l:r.de1 tt:Jb4 1 7.'ifd2 tt:Jxd3+ 1 8.cxd3 1 8 .'ti'xd3 l:rac8�. 1 8 ... bS! 1 9 . ..ti>b1 b4 20. tt:Jce2 as 21 . tt:Jt3 a4! 22.tbed4 b3 23.a3 .ixa3!?---+

-

Morozevich 's Resources: 4 .eS tbfd 7

Morozevich lacks the ability to finish a game properly. There was an easy win: 37...'ti'f7+ 38.�c4 (38 .'ti'c4 'ti'f2 39.�bl l:rc8) 38 ... <1Jb6 or else 37...'ti'f6! with zugzwang. 38. :Xd7 1"xg2 39.l:.b1 h6 40 . .:l.c7 l:tt8 41 .h4 'ii'g 4 42 . .:l.c4 1"g2 43.l:r.c7 1"g4 44.l:r.c4 1"g2 4S.l:r.c6 ..ti>h7 46.d4 1"g4 47.dS l:r.t4 48.1"c2+ @h8 49.tt:Jd3 :ts so.l:r.c4 'ii't3 S 1 . tt:Jb4 .:l.ff8 S2. li'c3 'fits S3. 'ti'd3 'iid7 S4. 'iic3 .:r.t7 SS.l:r.c6 'it>g8 S6. 'ii'c4 lWtS? S7.d6 @h8 S8.l:r.cS

•

I 11 :

tLJ 'iV

Black is already OK, but this thematic sacrifice enables him to launch a danger­ ous attack against the enemy king. 24.bxa3 'ifxa3 2S.tbeS? 25 .f5!? was a better defence: 25 ... exf5 26.tLle5� with a sharp position. 2S ... l:r.tb8! 26.tS b2 27.tt:Jc2 1"d6 28. tt:Jxd7 tt:Jxd7 29. l:l.t4 a3 30.a2 es 31 .l:r.b4 d4 32 . .ixd4 exd4 33. :Xd4 li't6 34. li'c3 1"xtS 3S. tt:Jb4 h8 36. l:re7 1Wt1 37.l:r.e1

1 \t l

1

[':;, �

[':;,

:

S8 ... 'iig 6? S9. tt:Jd3? It was White's turn to win: 59.l:rc8+! .l:!.xc8 60.'tWxc8+ @h7 61 .'ti'c2!+-. S9 ... l:tta7 60. .:1.dS l:r.a4 61 .hS 'fixd6 62Jlxd6 :Xc4 63.l:r.dS h7 64.l:r.d7 l:r.g4 6S.l:l.c7 :as 66. tt:Jcs :as 67. tt:Jd7 l:tt4 68.ltJb6 l:r.a5 69. tt:Jc4 :XhS 1h-1h

Summary of 7 ...cxd4 8.ttJxd4 .ics: After castling queenside White controls the centre and the kingside, while his opponent must find some counterplay on the queenside. Sometimes Black plays .. .f7-f6!? in order to open up the centre. The positions arising are very similar to the sharper lines of the Sicilian Defence, but with a closed centre. 37... 'ti't2? The game becomes uncontrollable. As we can see, on many occasions,

While I was playing in the Montcada Open (2008, Barcelona, Spain) I found an interesting theoretical discussion on 191

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . t2Jc3 tt:Jf6 the Classical French with 7... 'li'b6 on the Forum page of Chesspublishing. Curiously, I was able to use an idea sug­ gested by Milen Petrov to my advantage there in the last (and decisive) round when this same line appeared on the board against Bulgarian grandmaster Julian Radulski, who unfortunately passed away at a very young age. Despite his short chess career, he played many interesting games. In this game I wanted to surprise my opponent with a sharp variation of the French. The line looks very risky. In my book The Flexible French I didn't really recommend it for Black.

GAME 49 Julian Radulski (2514) Viktor Moskalenko (2572) Montcada Open 2008 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 tiJf6 4.es tiJfd7 5.f4 cs 6.tiJf3 ttJc6 7.�e3 'ifb6

.i j_ - � .i ii � iii 'if � i ii8 8 � ?b � tb 88 888 S'. 'iV � � S'. I mentioned this in Game 39 of The Flexi­ ble French as an almost forgotten idea. PUZZLE: With time, the line was modernized: 7...cxd4 8 .tllxd4 and now 8 ...�b6!?, but there are still many transposition possibilities (to include ... cxd4) during the opening - see Chapter 1 6 .

•

8.W'd2!? White sacrifices the b2-pawn. This is the second-most popular move in this

1 92

line, with 2 5 1 games in MegaBase. My opponent had always played this move in previous games. I did not have much time to prepare, but I found an interest­ ing idea, for use in one game only /fl*- WEAPON: More frequent is 8 .tlla4 (MegaBase = 1412 games). Here is what Milen Petrov wrote about this: 'Hello, it would be interesting for me to learn what Moskalenko says (in his book The Flexible French) about the following line: 8 ...�as+ 9.c3 cxd4 1 0.M! tllxb4 l l .cxb4 ..txb4+ 1 2. �d2 �xd2+ 1 3 .tllxd2 ('and Black does not get enough compensa­ tion for the piece' was my sum­ mary on this line in Game 39 of The Flexible French, after analysing many games) 1 3...0-0!? 14.i.d3 b5! 1 5 .tllb2.

.i l

analysis diagram

'This line is mentioned in Khalifman's book Opening According to Anand Vol. 6, but he only mentions 1 5 ... tllc 5 and 1 5 ...�c3 . I think that Black has a very interesting and better alternative to these two moves, namely 1 5 ...tllb 6!?' - Milen Petrov. 1 5 ...tllb 6! is the best move according to the engine: 1 6.0-0! (16.We2 tllc4 1 7.�c2 �a3!�; 1 6.�c2 tllc4 1 7. i.xh7+?! Wh8 1 8 . �d3 i.d7t) 16 ...tllc4! 1 7. i.xh7+!! (the only way. White must attack im­ mediately; 1 7.tllb 3? �a3+) 1 7... Wxh7 1 8 .°'fUhs+ Wg8 1 9.tllf3 .

Chapter 1 4 - Morozevich's Resources: 4.e5 ttJfd7

E• ii 'ii i

i i8 ,. i 8 Cjj

88 M <;;t>

analysis diagram

Personally, I don't like this type of position, where my king is exposed. 19 .. .f6 (19... g6?! 20.�h6 �c7 2 1 .tLld3�) 20.exf6 �c7 2 1 .tLlxc4 dxc4 22.fxg7 �xg7 23 . .l:i.ael ! ?� - a typical computer game ended in a draw after 48 moves, Rajlich-Cato the Younger, playchess.com INT 2007.

•

PUZZLE: Two other popular answers don't help White to gain an advantage: 8.�e2 cxd4 9.tLlxd4 and 8.a3 cxd4 9.tLlxd4 both trans­ pose to Chapter 1 6 .

8... 'ifxb2 This seems obligatory. If 8 ... �e7 9.0-0-0!, and 8 ... cxd4!? 9.tLlxd4 �xb2 transposes to Chapter 1 6 . 9.l:tb1 'ifa3

E .t • .t i i ,. i i ,. i ii8 8 8 'ii Cjj iiL Cjj 8 8 8 'if M <;;t> iiL

E i

Bulgarian GM Julian Radulski ( 1 9 7 2 - 2 0 1 3 ) .

A sharp and very interesting move (also the best one in Chapter 1 6). A) I O .tLlb5 �xa2 1 1 .�dl cxd4! 1 2 .tLlfxd4 .l::tb 8!+ transposes to the line analysed in the game Levchenkov­ Moskalenko (Chapter 1 6); B) 10.�e2?! is also worse: 1 0 ...a6! l l .f5 cxd4 l 2.fxe6? dxe3 and Black wins too much material, Jordi Fluvia Poyatos­ Vaganian, Barcelona 2007. 1 0. . . c4 My (and the engine's) main idea for this game. But now I am not sure if it's the best practical choice. ttJ"- WEAPON: 1 0 ... a6!? may be more clear:

i

8 M

Further on, in Chapter 16, we include the moves ... cxd4, tLlxd4. 1 0. i.bS!

'*

E ill

,. ,. i iiL l l 8 8 8 � Cjj ]1, Cjj 8 8 iv. 88 M M
i

.t

analysis diagram

1 93

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . ttJc3 tbf6 l l . �xc6 (1 1 . �a4? tbaS!?) l l ...bxc6. In our post-mortem analysis Radulski mentioned 1 2.0-0 (::; 1 2.dxcS �xcS playchess.com Fleurdumal-Wornath, 2004) 1 2 ...c4 1 3.fS exfS 14.tbh4? (14.°iVe l !? �b4 1 5.e6 tbf6oo) 14 ... g6 1 5 .g4 with a strong attack ('must be winning', in Radulski's words). How­ ever, here my 'home computer' value is about - 2.00 in Black's favour!

*

PUZZLE: Again, 1 0 ... cxd4 l l .ttJxd4 tbxd4 1 2 . �xd4 a6 transposes to Chapter 16.

1 2 ... 'ii'xb4 1 2 ...tt:Jxb4? 1 3.fS ! exfS 14.tbh4 g6 1 5 .g4-+ Radulski. 1 3.f5! (± Radulski) 1 3 ...exfS This leads to a favourable endgame for White. But what to do? This position must also be checked with an engine. For example: 1 3 ... tllb 6!? 14.f6 gxf6 1 5.�xc6+ bxc6 1 6.exf6 tbd7 1 7.�h6 .llg 8 1 8.tbgs tllf8oo. 1 4.tillc dS! 'ii°xd2 1 5. tillc d2 0-0 1 5 ... c3!?. 1 6. tillcc4;t

1 1 .0-0! N Unfortunately I hadn't been able to sur­ prise my opponent - I had landed in his preparation! From here on he start­ ed showing me that his knowledge was superior. 1 l .tbe2 lbb4 1 2.0-0 tbxc2! Fejzullahu­ Lipecki, Switzerland tt 2014. 1 1 ... .tb4 1 2. :Xb4

.i .i A * l l .. i l l .. l � 18 �18 8 'iV ttJ � ttJ 8 8 'iV 88 � \t> Another key moment.

Here my opponent offered a draw. But I wanted to improve my score. Unfor­ tunately Radulski also played well tech­ nically! 1 6 ... tllb6 1 7.tt::\cxb6 axb6 1 8.a4 .te6 1 9.tillc b6 l:tad8 20.c3 h6 21 . .tc1 tlla7 22 . .ta3 tillcb5 23.axbS l:.fe8 24. .td6 f6 White is still better, but Black has practi­ cal chances of a draw.

Summary 7 .. 'ifb6: As we can see after some fresh analytical work, White continues to dominate in this line. However, the ideas of the Bulgarians Milen Petrov and Julian Radulski deserve great attention. Clearly, old games do not help to comprehend these positions, nor do modern modules understand them well. 8.'iVd2 may be White's best option, whereas 8.tba4 is interesting, if White continues l 7.�xh7+! . I was caught unpre­ pared in this game, but still the French remains Flexible! .

1 94

Chapter 15

-

The Proper Scope of the Move 7 . . . �e7

1 .e4 es 2.d4 dS 3.t2Jc3 tllf6 4.es tllfd7 5.f4 cs 6. tllf3 t2Jc6 7.�e3 i.e7

E ..t 'iV e i i ,. ..t i i ,. i ii8 8 8 ttJ it ttJ 888 8 1:: 'iY it

E i

8 1::

'Not one of the main traditional lines, but nowadays players tend to explore a wide range of variations, especially in such a flexible opening as the French' - Mihail Marin (CBM 1 57). After checking the recent games on this subject, I would like to offer a few lesser­ known strategic ideas for Black in this modern line of the Classical French. In my opinion, it is not necessary to follow the standard directions of the official Theory, Practice and Rybka suggestions, since all of them fail to recognize certain important advantages (and 'occult' ideas) of the early move 7 . . . �e7 ! ?. A Losing Concept Before presenting serious alternatives for White and Black on move 9, I should propose an important correction of a mistaken concept: after 8.lWd2 0-0, White's queenside castling 9.0-0-0?? would be the biggest mistake one can make in a life of chess!

E ..t 'iV .i e i i ,. .i! i i i ,. i ii8 8 8 ttJ it ttJ 8 8 8 'iY 88 1:: 1:: Here Black should continue 9 c4! and then 10 bS! , with a winning initiative on the queenside (see the key Game 50). Remarkably enough, 9.0 -0-0?? is the third most popular move for White: 180 games in total, but only a 36.6% score. And the Rybka engine fails to understand such positions - until the red mate sign appears! ...

...

195

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . t2Jc3 tt:Jf6 Standard Directions The main line for many players on either side is 8.�d2 0-0 9.il.e2 a6 10.0-0 bS, using well-known opening ideas for Black and White (see Chapter 14, Game 47). However, nowhere did I find any clear explanation about what the actual difference is if Black instead goes for the immediate ... a7-a6/. .. b7-b5. Personally, I have used the classical set-up with 7... a6 and 8 ... b5 mainly directed against White's threat of 8.'ti'd2 and 9.0-0-0, forcing White to castle kingside. But once again, I do not see any reason why Black has to repeat the same set-up here! New Strategic Ideas for Black 9.£.e2 b6!? 10.0-0 f6!?

My previous book The Flexible French (2008) also offered a brief outline of the modern move 7... il.e7 as an attractive 'weapon'. However, there I already suggested an in­ teresting possibility for Black: using the flexibility of the pawn structure by playing ...b7-b6 and then .. .f7-f6, with the original idea of removing the white pawn wedge. Right now, I think this could be the main resource of the entire 7... £.e7 variation, instead of the old ... a7-a6/. .. b7-b5 set-up. Recently, this new strategic set-up was applied successfully by several French ex­ perts. Even if you are a new member of the French community, . . . b 7 -b6/ . . . f7-f6 is easy to understand because of its strategic theme: the pawn structure. Another interesting alternative for Black is the blocking idea 1 0.0-0 fS !? , intending to improve the position of the d7 -knight with . . . tl:ic5 -e4 at a later stage. After Black pushes the f-pawn White has the universal response 1 1 .exf6, and after 1 1 ... tl:ixf6 . . .

.! i

.t "ii

.1 9 j! i i i�

i� ... i 8 8 ttJ � tij 8 8 8 °fi � 8 8 : :� 1 96

Chapter 1 S

-

The Proper Scope of the Move 7 . . . .1i.e7

... in this ultra-modern position Black has many interesting plans and strategies. For the full story on 9 . £e2 b6 1 0 .0-0 f6 ! ?, see Game S 1 . However, Black can also combine all the above-mentioned ideas by first playing 1 0 ... £h7!?, as in Nijboer-Narciso Dublan. For 1 0 ...fS and 1 0 ... £b7, see Game 5 2 .

.-=:- Statistics Up till now about 200 games have been played with 9 ...b6. A few of them were by the hero of the French, Alexander Morozevich; some by grandmasters like Vitiugov, Volkov and Naer. The statistics for the new line with 1 0.0-0 f6 are fascinating: about 60 percent for Black, an excellent score for any variation! Most grandmasters, when reading opening books or preparing with databases, mainly look at secondary lines. The reason: their good intuition and strategic un­ derstanding. There is no time for deep study, tomorrow there will be another game! White's Alternatives on Move 9 I am sure Black can use the same universal concept of ...b7-b6/.. .f7-f6 against White's less popular moves: 9.g3, 9.a3, 9 .1i.d3 or 9.£e2. See Game 53: Macieja-Morozevich. •

An Open Question 'Is 7... £e7 a wasted tempo or not? There is no clear answer to this .. .' comments Emil Anka in Yearbook 95. What he means is that White can start simplifications in the centre with 9.dxc5!?, forcing the black bishop to move twice.

E ..t 'if E 9 i i � ..t i i i � i 8i8 8 ttJ � ttJ 8 8 8 Wi 88 a �� a The option of dxc5 is also natural in the parallel line after 7... a6 and 8 ... b5. But here White can try to gain a tempo by castling queenside, since Black's a- and b-pawns are not advanced yet. In the above diagram Black has three main direc­ tions: 9... £xc5, 9...'iVa5 (see Game 54) or 9...tllc 5 (Game 55). I have found all lines to be playable for Black. After 9... £xc5, White's queenside castling leads to sharp but balanced positions. And after 9...tt:lxc5 10.0-0-0 I like to follow the same strategic concept with 10 ... b6!?. •

•

1 97

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 . tlx3 tllf6

The Proper Scope of the Move 7 /Jl.e 7 Games ...

-

GAME 50 Roeland Pruijssers (2355) Li Shilong (2540) Dieren 2006 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.0.c3 llJfG 4.es t2Jfd7 5.f4 cs 6.llJf3 0.cG 7. .te3 .te7!?

i.

.t

• 1 1 /SJ .t i l " l 118 8 8 ttJ � ttJ 8 888 M 'li' � �

i. l

8 M

This has been the main focus of the Classical Variation for a couple of years, as reflected in The Flexible French and in other recent books and articles. 8. 'ifd2 0-0 PUZZLE: 8 ...b6!? is an early trans­ position, helpful to avoid White's simplifications after 8 ... 0-0 9.dxcS as in Games S4 and SS. 9.0-0-0?? c4! Preparing 10 ... bS, which is already prac­ tically winning. 1 0.fS Each other move loses time. 1 0 ... bS!-+

•

.t '+JV i. . /SJ .t i l l " l l 188 18 ttJ � ttJ 8 8 8 'li' 88 �� � M

i. l

1 98

The white king is on its own. 1 1 .fxeG A) l 1 .f6?! is not much help: 1 1 ... gxf6 1 2.exf6 (12.�h6 fxeS !) 12 ... tllx f6 1 3 . �h6 tllg 4! 14.�xf8 �xf8 and Black is almost winning, Vovk-Martinez Martin, ICC 2009; B) 1 1 .tllxbS allows an attack along the b-file: 1 1 ....l:!.b8 12.tlld6 �xd6 1 3.exd6 tllf6! 14.c3 tlle 4 1 5.�c2 exfS--+ and Black won in 23 moves, E.Pinter-Lipka, Slovakia tt 2007/08; C) l l .�f2 b4 l 2.tlle2 exfS+ 13.tllf4 �as 14.bl tllb6 1 S.�g3 tlla4 16.tllhs g6 1 7. .l:!.el tllc3+! 1 8.bxc3 bxc3 19.cl iVxa2 20.dl J::[.bs 2 1 .tllf6+ �xf6 22.exf6 llbl+ 23.e2 �xc2+ 0-1 Fuchs-Sedina, Germany Bundesliga W 2007/08. 1 1 ...fxe6 1 2.tl\xb5 TRICK: 12.tllgS? M! 13.tllb l c31-+.

•

TRICK: 12.�gS b4 1 3 .tlle2 c3 14.bxc3 bxc3 1 S .tllxc3 �a3+ 1 6.@bl 'i¥b6+ 1 7.tllbs a6 0-1 Wallis-Matamoros Franco, Sydney 2007; a nice miniature. 1 2 ... .:tbe 1 3.tl\dG .txdG! 1 3 ...tllb 6!? might be an alternative. 1 4.exdG llJb4! The best move order for attackers, play­ ing for mate. If 14 ...tllf6!? J S .tlle S (J S. c3 �as 1 6.a3 �d7--+) 1 S ...�b6 16.�c3 tlle4 1 7.�a3 c3!-+ Szelag-M.Gurevich, Warsaw rapid 2007. 1 5. �b1 llJf6

t(

i. .t '+JV

i. . l 11 8 1 /SJ l "' 8 � ttJ 88 8 8 8 'li' � M � M

Chapter 1 5 Black is winning. 1 6.a3 Two years later White played 1 6 .�c3 tl:le4 1 7.'i¥a3 .l::r.b 6!--+ 1 8 .Wcl? �xd6 0-1 Terrieux-Jossien, France tt 2007/08. 16 ... tbe4 1 7. 'ire1 c3! 1 7 ... tl:lxc2 1 8.Wxc2 £.d7-+. 1 8.b3 1 8.axb4 l:Ixb4 19.b3 �b6-+. 1 8 ... 'it'aS 1 8 ... tl:lxc2!? 1 9.Wxc2 l::rx b3-+. 19 . .ic1 tbxc2! 20.@xc2 .id7 21 .b4 'ira4+ 22.@d3 c2 23.l:.d2 °irb3+ 24. 'ifi>e2 .ibS+ 25.l:.d3 'ilrxd3#

GAME 51

Fabiano Caruana (2700) Murtas Kazhgaleev (2620) Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 (2)

See also Tatiana Kosintseva's notes in CBM 133. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d 5 3.lLlc3 c!Lif6 4.es c!Lifd7 5.f4 cs 6. c!Lif3 lLlc6 7 . .ie3 .ie7!? 'This is another old method, quite natu­ ral and recently used by many masters' - Moskalenko, The Flexible French. 8. .ie2 In the next game we will see the most usual move order: 8 .'i¥d2 0-0 (8 ...b6!?) 9.£.e2 b6!? 1 0.0-0 etc. 8 ... 0-0 9.0-0 b6!?

_t 'iV .i . � .t i i i i� i ii8 8 8 C[j .i t2J 8 8 8 ii, 8 8 bl: 'iY bl: � :i i

This strategic concept, strengthening the centre, is the key to Black's defence.

-

The Proper Scope of the Move 7 ... £.e7

1 0. °ird2 With this move we arrive at our main line. 1 0 .. .f6!? This is the most interesting resource after playing ... b7-b6, attacking White's pawn wedge. 1 1 .exf6 A) Black's main idea appears in the variation 1 1 .tLldl cxd4! 1 2.tLlxd4 tl:lxd4 1 3 .£.xd4 fxe5 14.fxeS l::t.x fl+ 1 5 . £.xfl £.c5!? (1 5 ...tl:lb8!?) 1 6.tl:lf2 �c7 1 7.£.xc5 (1 7.'i¥c3D) 1 7...bxc5+ due to the better pawn structure, Firat-Gofshtein, Ankara 2010; B) 1 1 .dxc5 tl:lxc5 ( 1 1 . ..fxeS 1 2.tLlxdS!t) 12.£.bs £.b7 1 3 .exf6 £.xf6 14.£.xc6 £.xc6 1 5 . ikd4 �c8!? (less good is 15 ...tl:le4 1 6 .�e3;;!;; , suggested by T.Kosintseva) 1 6.'i¥e3 ikb7 with equal chances. 1 1 ... tbxf6

:i i

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.! • _t i i i�

i� ii 8 8 t2J iil t2J 8 8 8 'iY iil 8 8 M bl: � The key position of this new opening line. In the most recent games there followed: 1 2.@h1 Alternatively, 12.£.bs �c7 1 3 .@h1 (13.ikxc6 'i¥xc6 14.tLleS 'i¥c7 1 5.�ae1 (T. Kosintseva) 1 5 ... £.a6 16.�f3 tl:ld7<=t Moskalenko) 13 ... ikd7 14.1::!'.ad1 a6! 1 5 .£.xc6 £.xc6 1 6.'i¥e2 £.d6!? (with 1 6 ...bS we would go back to the standard plans, Baramidze-Berczes, Biel 2008) 1 7.tl:les £.es+. 1 2 ... .ib7!? 1 99

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tt:Jc3 tt:Jf6

'iV i. . .! .i. i i i ..t i� i� ii 8 8 i1J 1i i1J 8 8 8 'fi 1i 8 8 : g � The game is balanced, but Black has a clearer strategy. Or 1 2 ...�c7!? 1 3 .tt:Jes �b7!? (1 3 ... a6 14.tLlxc6 �xc6= Bazeev-Iskusnikh, St Petersburg 2010) 14.l:Iadl a6 1 5.tLlxc6 �xc6+ Brkic-A.Kovacevic, Bihac 2010. 1 3. :ae1 A) 1 3 . �d3 (preventing ...tt:Je4) 13... a6 (Black aims for the central set-up; 1 3 ...�c7!?�; 1 3 ... c4!? 14.�e2 �b4�) l4.a3 (14.�ael c4 1 5.�e2 �b4 1 6 .�cl b5�) 14 ...�c7 1 5 .�el (1 5 . .l:rael �ae8 16.�gl �d6 1 7.g3 cxd4 1 8.tLlxd4 est) 1 5 ... .a'.ae8!? (15 ... c4 16.�e2 tLlg4 1 7. �gl T.Kosintseva-I.Rajlich, Novi Sad Ech 2009) 1 6 .�h4 g6+; B) 1 3 . �adl tLle4 14.tLlxe4 dxe4 1 5.tLleS tLlxd4 16.�xd4 cxd4 1 7.�c4 �f6 18.�xe6+ @h8 1 9.tLlf7+ �xf7 20.�xf7 �c7� T.Kosintseva, CBM 133. 1 3 . .. @hB ,_.,.. WEAPON: I prefer 1 3 ... tt:Je4!?. 1 4. ..tbS a6 1 5 . ..txc6 ..txc6=

i.

'iV

i ..t i�

• ii

i .t. ..t ii 8 8 i1J 1i i1J 88 8 8 8 'fi :l:[ g � 200

Black's position is potentially better. 1 6. tllgS 'ii'd 7 1 7.a3 1 7.iilgl tlle 4 1 8.tLlcxe4 dxe4 l 9.tLlxe4 cxd4 20.�xd4 .lla d8�. 1 7... :ade 1 e . .i:r.d1 ..tdG 1 9. 'ii'e2 .l:r.de8 20 . .l:r.de1 20.�xa6? c4-+. 20 ... 'f/c7 21 . 'ii'f2 h6 22. 'ii'h 4 @gB=F 23.tllf3 ..tb7 112-112 23 ... cxd4! 24.tt:Jxd4 ikd7+.

.

New Strategic Ideas: 1 0 . .fS ! ? and 1 0 ... �b7 ! ? GAME 52 Piotr Bobras (2535) Evgeny Naer (2657) Germany Bundesliga 201 0/1 1 ( 1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tllc3 tllf6 4.es tllfd7 5.f4 cs 6. tllf3 tllc6 7. i.e3 ..te7!? 8. 'ii'd2 0-0

*

PUZZLE: Black can apply the same set-up with the early 8 .. b6!? 9.11i.d3 (9.0-0-0?! exposes the king to a pawn attack: 9 ... c4!) 9... �b7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .tLldl cxd4 1 2.tLlxd4 tllxd4 1 3 . �xd4

· · f!.·-.· ..,, �

�� . ./�.. �. �.. ,;�. .. . ;. . ...... . -� '·� .7 ,. . .. .. .. . a.

,,�

.�· · '

�

"�- . -

"•

I I

-

�

·.... . .. ... ...

Italian chess star Fabiano Caruana couldn't equalize against the original line with 7 Yle7 . 9 b6 and 1 0 . [6.

Chapter 1 5 - The Proper Scope of the Move 7 ... �e7 /fl*- WEAPON: 10 ... �b7!? is also play­ able and attractive: 1 1 .tLldl (intend­ ing c2-c3) l l ...cxd4! 12.tLlxd4=.

.i i .i. .t. •

analysis diagram

1 3 .. .fS! (Grischuk praised this move; 13 ...tl:lcS!?) l 4.exf6 (played after 42 minutes!) 14 ... �xf6 1 5.c3 �c7!= Grischuk-Wang Hao, Elancourt 20 1 3 . 9.�e2 The most popular, most natural move. 9 ... b6!

A rare continuation. 'Black refrains from queenside action (9... a6 10.0-0 bS), in favour of play in the centre' T.Kosintseva in CBM 1 3 3 . 1 0.0-0 A) Again, the aggressive 1 0.0-0-0 re­ sults in double-edged play after 10 ...c4 1 1 .fS bS ! etc.; B) After 10.tl:ldl (intending c2-c3) 10 ... cxd4! is the best reaction. (10 .. .fS l 1 .c3!? aS 1 2.0-0 �a6? 1 3 . �xa6 l::!.xa6 14.c4t T. Kosintseva-Hou Yifan, Jermuk 201 0) l 1 .tLlxd4 tl:lxd4 1 2 .�xd4 f6 (12 ...tLlcS!?) (12 ...tl:lb8!?) 1 3.exf6 �xf6+:± Danin­ Jorczik, Pardubice 2010. 1 0 f5 With the idea ... cxd4 and ...tl:lcS-e4. ...

analysis diagram

Only a few games in the database: 12 ... tLlxd4 (12 ... .l:i.c8!? 13.c3 tl:lcS+:t Tejedor Fuente-Ladron de Guevara Pinto, Spain tt­ jr 201 0) (12 ...tLlcS!? 1 3.tLlxc6 �xc6 14.�d4 tl:le4 15.�e3 �cS= Kokarev-Volkov, Plovdiv 2008) 1 3 .�xd4 tl:lb8 (13 ...tl:lcS!?) 14.c3 tl:lc6 1S.�f2 f6+:% and a draw (28) in Nijboer-Narciso Dublan, Barcelona 2007. 1 1 . tbd1 White prepares c2-c3. A) 1 1 .Whl �b7 12 . .l:i.gl .l:i.c8 (12... cxd4!? 1 3.tl:lxd4 tl:lcS+:t) 1 3 .tLldl (6 c2c3) 13 ... cxd4! 14.tl:lxd4 tl:lxd4 1 5 .�xd4 tl:lcS+:Z Kislik-1.Rajlich, Budapest 2010; B) 1 1 .dxcS tl:lxcS 12.tl:lbs tl:le4 1 3 .�dl �cs 14.tl:lbd4 tl:lxd4 1 5.tl:lxd4 �e8 1 6.c3 �d7 1 7.a4 l::!.c 8 1/2-1/2 Paikidze­ Vorobiov, St Petersburg 2010. 1 1 ... cxd4! 1 2.tbxd4 tbxd4 1 3 . .txd4 ttJc5�

.i i

.t if i

.i .

.t i �i8i � 8

8 8 8 fiii !k 8 8 ll ttJ ll � 201

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . lllc3 tt::1f6 The key position after the opening. This structure is typical for this ... f7-f5 line. 1 4. tt:Je3 14.tLlf2 aS (14... �b7!?) 1 5 . lladl �a6 16.�xa6 tL:lxa6 (16 ... l:l'.xa6!?) 1 7.'tWe2 'tWc7 1 8 . Ilcl tLlcS 1 9.c4 �ad8= Jerez Perez-Anton Guijarro, Barbera del Valles 2009. 1 4 ... tt:ie4 1 5. 'ife1 il..d7 1 5 ... �cS!?; 1 5 ... �b7!?. 1 6.c4 dxc4 1 7. hc4 h8 1 8.l:[d1 'flee 19 . ..-e2 l:td8 20.a3 'ii'g6 21 .l:ld3 il..c6 22.b4 il..h4 23.l:tf3?! 23.tLlc2 �a4i. 23 ... b5 24 . ..ib3+

E .t. .t. 8 8 .i

..t

E

• .t. .t. 'iV

.t. 8 .t. .i ,. 8 ..t M tLi M if 8 8 �

With his strong tLle4 and �c6 battery, Black is better, even when the tactics start. 24... lbc3! 25 . ..ixc3 :Xd3 26 . ..-xd3 hf3 27.'ii'd 6?? 2 7.'tWxbS �e4+. 27 ... .:tee 27... .l::td8!-+. 28. �1 il..e4 29.g3 ..id8 29 ... �xg3 . 30.il..d 4 'ifh5 31 . 'ird7 'ii'f3+ 32.@e1 il..cG 33 . ..-xa7 'fi'h1 + 34. tllf 1 'fi'e4+ 34... gS. 35. ..ie3 'ii'b 1 + 36.il..d 1 il..e7 36 ... �f3-+. 37.tl\d2 ..-a1 38. il..d4 'fi'c1 39.tt:\b3 'ii'c4 40.tlld2 'fi'c1 ?! Black is still much better: 40 ...'tWdS! 41 .�f3 'tWd7+. 41 . tllb3 'ti'c4 42.tlld2 'ii'c 1 112-112 202

White's Alternatives on Move 9 GAME 53 Bartlomiej Macieja (2470) Alexander Morozevich (2590) St Petersburg 1 997 (5)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lbc3 tllf6 4.e5 tllfd7 5.f4 c5 6.tllf3 tt:\c6 7. il..e3 il..e 7!? 8. 'ii'd 2 8.a3 b6 9.�d3 0-0 1 0 .0-0 fS (10 ... �b7!?) l l .exf6 tLlxf6 12.tLleS �b7 (� 1 2 ...'tWc7!+:t) 1 3 .'tWf3oo Morozevich­ Vitiugov, Saratov 201 1 . 8 ...0-0 9.a3 Not a very logical move, Black has not made the advance ... a7-a6/...b7-b5 yet. A) 9.tLle2?! f6+:t; B) 9.�d3?! f6! 1 0.exf6 �xf6! Efimenko-Goloschapov, Germany Bundesliga 2006/07; C) 9.g3 .

E9 E ..t l .t. ,. ..t .t. .t. .t. ,. .t. .t. .t. 8 8 8 tLi .i t2J 8 8 8 � 8 'f/ M � .i M analysis diagram

This set-up is not dangerous for Black. However, the immediate op­ tion 9...b6!? coincides with our theme: 10.�h3 (10.�bS �bl+ l'Ami-Visser, Leeuwarden 2004; 1 0.0-0-0? c4! 1 1 .fS bS!i etc.) 1 0 ... �a6!? 1 1 .tLle2 �c8 1 2 .c3 cxd4 1 3 .tLlexd4 tLlcS 14.tLlxc6 l:ixc6 1 5 .0-0-0 �c4-+ Blomqvist-Alavkin, Pardubice 2008. 9... b6! ? Alexander Morozevich, the well-known hero of the Classical French, was also the inventor of the strategic set-up ... b7-b6 and .. .f7-f6.

Chapter I 5

j_ � 1. • � Lt. i i i i� i ii8 8 8 8 4J jl tt:J 88 8 8 V//i 1:: � jl 1:: E i

1 0 . .td3 f6!? 1 1 .exf6 ttJxf6 1 2 . .tbS A quite modest but popular resource for White against the set-up ...b7-b6. 1 2 ... 'ii'c7 13 . .txc6 'ii'xc6 1 4. lOOS 'ii'e8� 1 S. 'ii'e2 1 5.0-0-0 �a6!? (15 ... .2.d6!?). 1 S ... tlld7=F White's pieces on e3 and c3 are pas­ sive and there is no clear set-up he can achieve. So Black has the better perspec­ tives in the long run. 1 6.ttJxd7 1 6.0-0 tllx e5=i=. 1 6 ... .txd7 1 7.0-0 'ii'g6 1 8.a4 c4! 1 9 . .l:.f3 a6 20.aS bS 21 . tlld 1 b4 22.tllf2 .tbs 23. l:tg3 'ii'fS 24. 'if g4 l:[f7 2S. 'ii'd 1 25.�xf5 exf5+. 2S...c3 26.�4 �8 27.lLe5 l:tff8 28.b3 28.bxc3 .l:Iac8!? (28 ...bxc3+). 2e... .tf6 29. tllg 4 .tee! Improving the bishop's position: ... ..tg6. 30. ttJxf6 gxf6 31 . 'ifg4 ..tg6 32. 'ii'xfS .txfS+

-

The Proper Scope of the Move 7 . . . Jl.e7

Black has reached a strategically win­ ning ending in view of the difference in the strength of the bishops and the weak pawn on cl. Let's enjoy Morozevich's technique. 33.l:ta2D 33 . .l::i.c l .l:!.ab8-+. 33 ... hS 34 . .tf2 @h7 3S.l:te3 l:tf7 36 . .th4 .l:.g8 37.g3 .te4 38.l:te2 @g6 39.l:ta4 l:tb7 40.h3 :ea 41 . .i:ta1 eS!-+ 42.fxeS fxeS 43.dxeS :XeS 44. l:tf1 :ts 4S. l:txfS .txts 46. ..tde d4 47.g4 hxg4 48.hxg4 .txc2! 49.l:txc2 d3 0-1

The Final Question: 9 £.cs and 9 ifas ...

...

GAME 54 Li Chao (2458) Yu Shaoteng (2542) Suzhou 2006 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. tllc3 tllf6 4.es tllfd7 S.f4 cs 6. tllf3 tllc6 7.�e3 ..te7!? 8. 'ifd2 0-0 9.dxcS!?

E A'iv. E • i i � 1. i i i � i 8i8 8 4J jl tt:J 8 8 8 V//i 88 1:: � jl 1::

This is the main alternative: White in­ tends to castle queenside. 9... hcS!?

� WEAPON: Quite similar to the

main game would be 9 'ii'a S!?, but there is also a strange gambit by GM Volkov: 1 0.0-0-0 b6!? (only 4 games) ...

203

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4- e6 2 .d4- dS 3 . tbc3 tllf6

analysis diagram

(the normal moves are 1 0 ... �xc5 and 1 0 ...tLlxcS) 1 1 .�bS!? (1 1 .cxb6 axb6�) 1 1 ...�b7 1 2.'.t>bl !? �h8 (avoiding the well-known trick tLlxd5 -�xd2-tLle7+ etc. If 1 2 ... tLlxcS 1 3 . �xc6 �xc6 14-.tl:Jd4�ac8 1 5 .fS tLla4- 1 6.tLlxa4- �xd2 1 7.l:f.xd2 �xa4-= Cabrera-Espinosa Aranda, La Roda 2013) 1 3 . �xc6 �xc6 14-.tLld4- l:f.fc8 1 5.tLlb3 �a6 1 6.�f2 'iYb7 1 7.cxb6 axb6 18.�d4- bS 1 9.tLle2 b4-! 20.tLlecl �a4-!-+ Jerez Perez-Volkov, Paleochora 201 0 . 1 0 . .bcs ,,,.,,. WEAPON: 1 0.0-0-0 °iVb6!? (1 0 ... b6 (here we can clearly see the difference with Black's set-up with ... a7-a6/... b7-b5. If 1 1 .�bS ikb7oo, Teran Alvarez-Narciso Dublan, Ceuta 2008) 1 1 ..2.xcS tLlxcS 1 2 . �d3 tLlb4 1 3.@bl �d7 14-.°iVf2 tLlbxd3 15.cxd3 l:1fc8 1 6.'tWd4- aS= N.Kosintseva-Peng, Wijk aan Zee 2007. 1 o ... ttJxcs 1 1 .0-0-0

204-

The key moment for Black. 1 1 ... 'ifaS;::t Preparing ... l:f.d8. ,,,.,,. WEAPON: Perhaps the most solid plan was offered by a student of mine (Black): 1 1 ...a6!? 12.°iVf2 (12.°iVe3 b6!?) 1 2 ...'iYe7! 1 3.h4b5<=± is similar to the Classical main lines, Conejero-Ladron de Guevara Pinto, Spain 201 0 - this plan has not been published any­ where until now. 1 2.@b1 A typical prophylactic move. ,,,_,. WEAPON: 1 2 .h4-!? is the sharpest option, beginning with activity on the kingside, since Black has all his pieces on the other half of the board.

analysis diagram

Speed is of the utmost importance in such positions! 1 2 ... .2.d7 13.l:f.h3 bS!? (13 ... l:1ab8 14-.hS Naer-Riazantsev, Sochi tt 2007. Now: 14-... h6!?oo) 14-. .2.xbS (14-. fS exfS 1 5 .l::rg3 tl:Je7!= Munguntuul­ Danielian, Doha 201 1) 14-...tl:Jb4- 1 S . .2.xd7 tLlxa2+ 1 6.tLlxa2 'iVxa2 1 7.�b4-D tLlxd7 1 8.tLld4- aS= Dauletova-Jorczik, Pardubice 2010. 1 2 .. J:tdB!?;::t Alternatively, 1 2 ... �d7!? 1 3 .h4- (similar to the Naer game; if 1 3 . �d3 tLlb4-!? Vila Gazquez-Berczes, Szeged 2008) 1 3 ... l:f.ac8!? 14-.hS h6! (this set-up seems more effective against h4--h5)

Chapter 1 5

-

The Proper Scope of the Move 7 . . . Ji.el

.i .t. 'ilfri

analysis diagram

1 s .tl:id4 nrds I6.nh3 i.es 1 7.g4 tl:ixd4! l 8.'ti'xd4 tl:ie4!i Van Haastert­ Kasimdzhanov, Vlissingen 2007 and Kurnosov-Vitiugov, Taganrog 201 1 . 1 3. i.bS Or l3.�d3 �d7 14.�e3 tl:ixd3 1 s.nxd3 nac8= 1 6.fS?! d4! Polzin-Socko, Austria tt 2008/09. 1 3 ... i.d7 1 4.'if12

.i .t .t.

.t. �

• .t. .t. .t. •

21 . 'irg3 g6 22.'ife3 c2+! 23.@xc2 23.al cxd l'if+ 24.nxdl �c6-+. 23 ... c4! 24.a3 :Xb3 24...�b6-+. 25. 'ifh6 :Xb2+! 26.@xb2 'ifxeS+ 27.'iti>a2 'irx16 28.'ife3 i.a4 29. :XdB+ 'irxdB ao. .:.11 'ifd3 31 . 'if13 15 32 . .:.12 ..ib3+ 33.@b2 'ifd4+ 34.@b1 c3 0-1

The Final Question: 9 ttJcs ...

GAME 55 Li Chao (261 9) Zhou Weiqi (2585) Xinghua ch-CHN 201 0 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.t2Jc3 tt:\16 4.es tb1d7 5.14 cs 6.tt:\13 lLlc6 7.i.e3 ..ie7!? 8. ti'd2 0-0 9.dxcS tbxcS!? The main alternative.

Now the tactics are only beginning. 1 4... a6! A provocative idea. 14...tl:ie4!? 1 5 .tl:ixe4 dxe4 16.�xc6 �xc6 1 7.tl:id4 'ifcs�. 1 5 . .ixcG

•

TRICK: 1 5 .�xcS b6!=l= with the idea 1 6 .'ti'xc6 axbS! 1 7.�d6 b4-.

1 5 ... bxc6 1 6.lbd4 l:ab8 1 7. ttJb3 lbxb3 1 8.cxb3 cS!t 1 9.15 d4! 20.16? 20.tl:ie4 exfS 21 .tlJd6 �e6:+. 20 ... dxc3-+ Black is winning tactically.

1 0.0-0-0!? Perhaps the only way to fight for an advan­ tage; I O.tl:id4 a6 1 1 .0-0-0 tl:ixd4 12.�xd4 b5� 13.�f2? Mt Mallol Muste-Ladron de Guevara Pinto, Spain 2009.

205

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 tllf6 1 0... b6 !? The same strategic concept as in the pre­ vious games. For this line we have only 9 games in the database. If 1 0 ...'ifaS 1 1 .@bl

analysis diagram

1 1 ... �d 7? ( 1 1 ... .l::i.d8 ! ?co Naer-B. Kovacevic, Pardubice 2006) 12.tllxd5!± Zhigalko-Li Shilong, Cappelle la Grande 2006. 11 . ..tbS The usual move after ...b7-b6. A) 1 1 .M �b7co Ortiz SuarezNogueiras Santiago, Santa Clara 2007; B) 1 1 .tlld4 tllxd4 1 2.�xd4 .ld.b8 1 3 .'ife3 �a6 1/2-1/2 KrivoborodovA.Grigorian, Sibenik 2007. 1 1 ... ..tb7 1 2.h4!? "iic7 1 3.hS

The key moment. 1 3 ... l004 !? The alternatives: 1 3 ...tllb 4!?; 1 3 ... .ld.fd8!?; 13 ... h6!? maintains the tension. 1 4. lbxe4 dxe4 1 S.'ii'd7 1 5 .tlld4 tllxd4 16.�xd4 h6<=t. 1 S ... �c8 1 6. "iixc7 :Xc7 1 7.hc6 ..txc6

�· .t j. j. j. j. 8 8 j. 8 � ttJ 8 bi'. With at least an equal position for Black. 1 8. ltJd4 i..cS 1 8 ... £.d7!?; 1 8 ... £.dS!?. 1 9.h6 fS!? 20.exf6 :Xf6 21 .hxg7 i..e 8?! 21 ...�dS!?. 22.g4 :Xg7 23.gS l:l.fg6 24.c3 as 2s.ttJc2 es 26.l:l.da @ta 21.ts i..xe3+ 28.lbxe3 :XgS 29.l:th6 l:l.d7 30.:Xd7 i..xd7 31 . :Xh7 3 1 . .l:i.xb6!?. 31 ... hfS 32.l:l.b7 ..te6 33.c4 l:thS 34.:Xb6 @e7 3S.a4 l:l.h1 + 36.@d2 l:th2+ 37.@d1 l:l.h1 + 38.@e2 l:l.h2+ 39.@e1 l:l.h1 + 40.@f2 l:l.h2+ 41 .@f1 l:l.h3 42.@f2 l:l.h2+ 43.@g1 l:l.h3 44. @12 l:l.h2+ 4S.@f1 l:l.h3 46. ltJdS+ i..xdS 47.cxdS l:l.h2 48. @e1 %-%

Conclusion 'The whole line with 7... �e7 is gaining popularity and White players are still search­ ing for the best method to meet it,' commented GM Ftacnik in CBM 1 1 8 (2007). Now we are already in 20 1 5 , but the situation does not seem to have changed. Black will be even more ahead with the new set-up . . . b 7 -b6/ . . . f7 -f6, suggested in this Chapter and in my Survey on the same subject in Yearbook 9 8 . 206

Chapter 16

-

Use Your Own Head in the French!

1 .e4 e 6 2.d4 d 5 3. t2Jc3 ti:lf6 4.e5 ti:lfd7 5.f4 c 5 6.tl:lf3 t2Jc6 7. .ie3 cxd4 8.ti:lxd4 'itb6

E iii

'Very much a computer line that has come to the fore lately. The main problem for White is that there aren't many alternatives. Black can continue blitzing out moves for quite a while' - GM Simen Agdestein, who played the line 8 ...'ll!V b 6 successfully in, among others, the Norway super-tournament in 20 14, in New In Chess 20 14/S. Let me explain this weird French line from a personal viewpoint. The Origin Firstly, how was the move 8 ...'lib6!? born, and who was the father of the variation? In the year 1 984, I used only 3 ...tllf6 when defending against 3.tllc 3, followed it up with natural lines, and got pretty good results. I hope you remember that in the 1980s the Winawer with 3 ... �b4 (see Part Four) was still a relatively unexplored system. Of course, I was also looking for some extra ideas in this Classical Variation in order to be able to surprise my opponents. So, using the chessboard (but not the computer! ) , I found that the position in the above diagram contained some interesting secrets. When I investigated the line 8 . . . 'll!Vb 6 in 1 9 84 I was completely unaware of any game or theory explaining its pros and cons. This was often the case in those ancient pre-computer times - information was hard to come by. Now I understand that a few predecessors were available in print, even in the Yearbook Series, the oldest example dating back to 1 96 9 ! And I wouldn't at all be surprised if even older sample games came to the surface. The Main Idea One of the 'wrong' directions for White I discovered was 9.'lid2 �xb2 10.l:i.bl 'lia3, and now 1 1 .tllcbS?! (the main move today is 1 1 .�bS; see Games 60 and 61). 207

Pan Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tLlc 3 tt:'if6

.i 11

� �

1 ttJ 1 8 ttJ ['!:, � 'iV 88 8 8� l:: � � l:: 'If I had seen this position twenty years ago, I would have worried very much about one of the knights going to b5, but these days it's just a matter of turning on the computer to see that Black has nothing to fear' - Simen Agdestein, 20 14. This looks like the most natural continuation, threatening the queen on a3 and threatening to give a check on c 7 . However, Black can continue by taking the second pawn: 1 1 . .. 'iYxa2 ! . After this he can try to defend the position tactically, keeping his material advantage. Surprisingly, my home preparation worked perfectly in the first game with this line, in 1 9 84. See Levchenkov-Moskalenko (Game 5 6) . The Development of 8 �b6 After this first success, I tried this line again in the game Dreev-Moskalenko, Soviet Young Masters Championship, 1 985. This well-known game was later analysed in many popular magazines, like Chess Informant. Even a part of the endgame elicited enthusiastic (though not very accurate) comments from the great teacher Mark Dvoretsky in his books. Dreev's counterplan in the opening was more solid: 9.�e2! ? tt:'ixd4 1 0. �xd4 �cs t t . ti:Ja4 �as + 1 2.c3 ...

.i .i. • 11 � 1 'iV .t: 1 8 ttJ � � 8 88 88 l:: The author, GM Viktor Moskalenko, playing the Classical French in the I 980s, at the Capablanca Memorial (Holguin, Cuba, year 1 988).

208

See Game 57. However, there is no danger for Black here. So after this game Dreev im­ mediately included my sharp move 8 ...�b6 in his own French repertoire.

Chapter 1 6 Use Your Own Head in the French!: 8 . . . �b6 -

The Prophylactic Move 9.a3

.i .t • .t .i ll � lll 'iii � l 18 '1J 8 8 '1J j, 88 88 � Game 58: As you will find in my 1 993 game (and in a number of modern games given in the notes), defending b2 in this way is probably a waste of time. It is illog­ ical and clearly worse than Dreev's 9 . .te2. The Tactical 9. tllcb5

Game 59: This is already a well-known line. After 9. . a6!? 10.tllfs .tcS! leads to a draw by force. .

The Modern Main Line Obviously, the most popular move order used by White nowadays is the computer line 9.�d2 �xh2 10 .i:tbl 'l!W'a3 1 1.�bS!?. .

209

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tbc3 tllf6 After l 1 ...tllxd4 12.itxd4 a6 1 3 . �xd7+ �xd7 14.1lb3 �e7 1 5 . 1lxb7 this leads to the following position:

i. .\

8

�

• j_ .! 1.. � i i i .\ .\ 8 � 8

t2J 8 'i/

<;t>

88 �

In Games 60 and 61 in the Game Section you will find a collection of the most recent games by grandmasters like Agdestein (1 5 ...�d8 or 1 5 ...�h4+, in the recent elite tournament in Stavanger), Morozevich (15 ... .l:ic8!) and others. As long as you don't feel claustrophobic with the black queen on e7 (and the cen­ tralized king position) , you will end up winning a prize - a draw or a win against the best players in the world!

210

Chapter 1 6

•

-

Use Your Own Head in the French!: 8 . 'tib6 .

.

PUZZLES Exercise 1

.! .t • .t i i 4l i i 4l i ttJ i 8 ttJ 8 ::I � 8 'iV 8 if �

.! i

8 ::I

How should Black defend against the threat on c7? (solution in Game 56) Exercise 2

.! .t • .t i i 4l i i �4l i i8 ttJ 8 ttJ � 888 � 8 ::I iY �

.! i

8 ::I

Find the most precise way to equalize for Black. (solution in Game 57) Exercise 3

Find Black's best answer to this sacrifice. (solution in Game 59)

21 1

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . ttJc3 lbf6

Use Your Own Head! - Garnes The Wrong Direction - 1 1 . tbcb5 GAME 56

Vitaly Levchenkov Viktor Moskalenko

:g

Riga 1 984

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 ttJf6 4.e5 ttJfd7 5.f4 cs 6.tt:Jf3 ttJc6 7. i.e3 cxd4 S.tbxd4 'it'b6!? This was my new and sharp idea for the year 1 984, which allowed me to collect a full point with the French. 9.'it'd2 'it'xb2 1 0. l:lb1 'ifa3 1 1 . ttJcb5 For 1 1 ..2.bs see Games 60 and 61 . 1 1 ... 'ifxa2! 1 2. l:lb3 White has also tried 1 2 . .!:;I.dl , when 1 2 ... �b8! 1 3.tLlc7+ @d8 14.tLlcbS tLlcS! (14...�b2!?) 1 5 . .2.d3 tLlxd3+ 1 6.�xd3 a6! (16 ...�as+ 1 7.@f2 Abergel-Fridman, Germany Bundesliga 2013/14) 1 7.tLlc3 �as 1 8.0-0 �c7 1 9.fS @e8 is good for Black, according to the engines. 1 2 ... l:lb8!

�

'

fj

ttj

8 ·� 8 Wli � 8 8 � .id

White is losing too much material, and there is no mate to the black king. 1 8.'iti>g3 ttJcS! 1 9. i.c4 'Was 20.'tWd1 tbxb3 21 . bb3 'ifc3 22.l:lf1 h6 23.tt:Jf7 'tWxe3+ 24. l:lf3 'tWe4 2S.tbxh8 i.e6 26. be6 @xe6 27.c3 i.e7 28. 'tWb3+ g4 'ii' g2+ 38.'iti>hS 'ifxh2+ 39.
Development - 9. �e2 GAME 57 Alexey Dreev (2395) Viktor Moskalenko (2460) Lvov 1 985 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 ttJf6 4.es tt:Jfd7 S.f4 cs 6. tt:Jf3 tbc6 7.�e3 cxd4 8. tbxd4 'iVb6!? 9.�e2 Against this new idea, Dreev chooses a rather solid path.

As you can see, the main idea of the variation (just to win two extra pawns) works perfectly. 1 3.ttJc7+? Better is 1 3.�c3 a6! 14.tLld6+ £.xd6 1 S .exd6 �as 16.tLlxc6 �xc3+ 1 7.!l:xc3 bxc6 18 . .l::!.xc6 tLlf6+. White has a weak pawn structure. 1 3 ... e7! 1 6. tt:JgS 'tWa1 + 1 7. 'iti>f2 d4!-+ 212

E .t 9 .t ' ' ,. ' ' Li¥ ,. ' i8 t2J 8 t2J � 888 � 8 l:r 'iV �

E '

8 l:r

Chapter 1 6 9 ... lbxd4 r- WEAPON: Probably, the most precise way to equalize is the im­ mediate 9... �c5!? 1 0.tl:Ja4 'iYas+ 1 l .c3 i.xd4 12.�xd4 tl:Jxd4 1 3 .b4 tl:Jf3+! 14.jlxf3 �c7 1 5.�d4 tl:Jb6!?=. 1 0. �xd4 �cs 1 1 . tt'la4 l l . �xc5!? leads to a complex position with opposite-side castling: 1 1 ...tlJxc5 12.�d4 �d7!? (12 ...�xb2 1 3 .�bl �a3oo) 1 3 .0-0-0 0-0oo. 1 1 ... 'ira5+ 1 2.c3 bd4 1 3. 'irxd4 b6 1 4. �d1

The posltlon is balanced, but here deviate a little in the right direction to complicate the game. 1 4... 'irbS 14 ... 0-0!? 1 5.0-0 .2.b7 1 6 .b4 �a6 1 7.a3 �c4=. 1 5.b4 �b7 1 5 ... a5!? 1 6.tlJb2 �c6=. 1 6. ti:lb2 .:r.ce 1 7.b4 'ira6 1 8.c4 l:r.d8 1 9.0-0 0-0 20.f5 exf5 21 .cxd5 b5 22. �b3 'irb6 23. 'iixb6 lbxb6 24.d6 �e4 25.a4 :tee 26.axbS :Xes 27.J:r.fd1 :Xb5 28.l:r.d4 ti:lce 29.tt'la4 �8 30.d7 tfJe7 31 .ti:lc3 l:r.b7 32.lbxe4 fxe4 33.J:r.f1 l:r.bxd7 34. .:.Xf7+ 'iitee 35. :Xd7 lb:d7 36 . .:.Xg7 l:!.d4 37. .:.Xh7 .:.Xb4 38. �e6 'iitd B 39.@f2 l:r.b2+ 40. 'iitg 3 l:b6 41 . �g4 Here the game was adjourned until the next day. It's still balanced (see the anal-

-

UseYour Own Head in the French! : 8 . . . 'iV b6

yses and comments in my book Revolu­ tionize Your Chess on pages 88-90).

• • 41 ... l:r.b3+ 42. �4 e3 43. �f3 ti:ld5+!? 44.bdS e2 45.l:r.hB+ �d7 46. �c6+ @xc6 47 . .:r.ee as 48 . .:.Xe2 a4 49.g4 a3 50.h4 A) The check 50.l::!:e 6+? was recommended by Dvoretsky, but after 50 ...�b5!= Black cannot lose; B) Also 50 . .!d.a2 �d6 5 1 .h4 We6 52.rJ;>g5 Wf7 53.Wh5 llbs+ 54.g5 lla5 55.Wh6 Wg8= is an obvious draw. 50... J:r.b2?!T Better was 50 ... I:l.b4+ with the typical idea 5 1 .Wf5 lla4! 52.lla2 Wd7!=. 51 .l:r.e6+

51 ... �d7?? 51...Wc5D 52.l::!:a6 a2 53.l::!:a8 Wb5 54.We5 l:!c2 55.g5 .l:!.c5+ 56.We4 .ld.c4+ 57.Wd5 .!d.a4 58.llb8+ rJ;>a6 59.na8+ Wb5=. 52. l:r.a6+- a2 53.g5 @e7 54. �g4 rJff7 55. @h5 l:r.h2 56.l:r.a7+ 'iite6 57.@g6 llb2 58.h5 l:r.b8 59.h6 J:[gB+ 1 -0 60.�hS 'iitfS 61 . l:aS+

213

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 . l2Jc3 lt.Jf6 A Prophylactic Move - 9.a3

GAME 58 Manuel Aguas

Viktor Moskalenko (2555) 8enasque 1 993 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ta:3 ll\f6 4.e5 ll\fd7 S.f4 cs s.ll\f3 ta:s 7. i..e3 cxd4 8. ll\xd4 'Wb6 9.a3

I: ..t • ..t .t. .t. lj .t. .t. 'i¥ lj .t. .t. � t2J 8 8 ttJ � 88 8 n 1W � �

I: .t.

Quite similar to the previous game, but iile2 may be more useful than a2-a3 . 1 4. 'Wb4!? The only logical idea after a2-a3 . Quite absurd is 14.�e2?! which con­ firms White's loss of a tempo: 14 ... �a6! (against Dreev, I had no time to play this move) 1 5.iildl 'libs 1 6.b4 .l:!.c8 1 7.lt.Jb2 'lWc6 1 8 . .l:i.cl 0-0+ and Black later won in a sharp game, Kamsky-So, Khanty­ Mansiysk 2009. 1 4... 'Wxb4 1 S.axb4 The endgame is balanced, but there is still a lot of play ahead ...

8 n

Compared to Dreev's logical move 9.iile2 in the previous game, this seems to be simply a loss of time. 9 ... i..cS PUZZLE: 9...tt.Jxd4!? 1 0 .iilxd4 iilcs 1 l .tt::'la4 'iY'aS+ 1 2 .c3 �xd4 1 3.'i¥xd4 also leads to the main game. 1 0. ll\a4 Alternatively, 10.tt.JcbS tt.Jxd4 1 I .iilxd4 0-0 12.b4 iilxd4 13.'li'xd4 aS!? and the resulting endgame is drawish, as in Saric-Martinovic, Plitvicka Jezera 2013, and Macieja-Shimanov, Nakhchivan 2013. 1 0 ... 'iia 5+ 1 1 .c3 .txd4 1 2. bd4 ll\xd4 1 3. 'Wxd4 b6

•

..t

• lj

.t. .t. .t.

.t. .t. 8 'li' 8 8 n 214

8

8

1S ...a6 1 6. i.e2 .tb7 1 7.0-0 :ca 1 8.bS aS 1 9 . .:tad1
Tactics - 9.lLlcbS GAME 59 Bela Lengyel (2345) Beat Zuger (2425) Budapest 1 994 (8)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. ta:3 ll\f6 4.eS ll\fd7 5.f4 cs 6. ll\f3 ta:s 7.i.e3 cxd4 8. ll\xd4 'Wb6 9. ta:bS

Chapter 1 6

.I

i.

• .a ii � ii �� i tlJ i 8 � fj jl, 888 8 : iV @ Jl.

.I i

-

Use Your Own Head in the French!: 8 . . . � b6

The Main Modern Line - 1 1 .2.bS ( 1 5 .. 'iVds or 1 S ... °iVh4+) .

.

GAME 60 Alexander Grischuk ('279'2) Simen Agdestein ('26'28) Stavanger 2014 (5)

8 :

An interesting attempt by White, but it can lead to a direct draw. 9... a6!? /flJ*- WEAPON: After 9 ... �cS 10.c3 a6 l l .b4! (1 I .tbxc6 axbS 12 . .ixcS 'iVxcS 1 3.tbd4 b4=) l I ...tbxb4! 1 2 . .l:!:bl the position is still un­ clear and difficult to evaluate. 1 0. t2Jf5 .ic5! 1 1 . t2Jbd6+ �f8 1 2. 'ifh5 t2Jd8 1 3. tbxg7D

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.t2Jc3 t2Jf6 4.e5 t2Jfd7 5.f4 cs 6.t2Jf3 t2Jc6 7 . .ie3 cxd4 8. tbxd4 'ii' b6 9.'ifd2 'ifxb2 1 0.l:[b1 'ifa3 1 1 . �b5!? The ultra-modern line, with good chances of a forced draw right after the opening. 1 1 .tbcbS?! is covered in Game 56.

.I i. • .a .I ii � iii � i jl, i 8 tlJ 8 � <1J jl, 8 8 'jf/ : @ 1 1 ... tbxd4! is too passive: 1 2.0-0 a6 (12 ...�aS 1 3 .fS !) 1 3 .fS!--+ axbS 14.fxe6 .2.xe6 1 5 .tbxe6 fxe6 1 6.tbxbS �as 1 7.'i¥f2+- Gao Rui-Liu Guanchu, Qinhuangdao 201 1 . 1 2.hd4 a6 1 3. �xd7+ hd7 1 4.l:[b3 'i!t'e7 1 5. :Xb7 l I ...tbdb8?

1 3 ... �xe3! An important improvement by the same player. � TRICK: Previously, 1 3 ...@xg7?? W led to total confusion: 14.�xcS tbxcs 1 5 .°iYgs+ @fs 1 6 .°iYh6+ @e7 (16 ... @g8 1 7.tbe8+-) 1 7.�f6+ Wd7 1 8 .�xh8± is nearly winning for White, Nunn­ Zuger, Nuremberg 1990. 1 4. tbxe6+ White is forced into perpetual check. 1 4 .. .fxe6 1 5. 'ifhG+ 'itg8 1 6.'ifg5+ 'itf8 1 7. 'ifh6+ �g8 1 8.'iVg5+ 112-112

�

i

8

:

• ..t .I i.� i i i i i8 jl, 8

� 8 'ii

\ti

88 :

This position has been the starting point of numerous games (and a few articles). 215

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 tbf6 'Black has had tremendous success in se­ curing draw after draw' - John Watson (chesspublishing.com). 1 5... 'ii'd 8 Agdestein decides to deviate from his previous game against Karjakin. A fresher and more recommendable idea is 1 5 ... llc8!?, see the next game, Karj akin-Morozevich. � WEAPON: The included check 1 S ...°iYh4+!? has been the most common continuation: 1 6.�f2 (the main line is 16.i1i.f2 °iYd8 17.�b6, see the variation below on move 1 6) 1 6 ... �e7!? (16 ...�xf2+ 1 7.@xf2 llc8=) 1 7.�xh4 (17.g3 keeps the queens on: 1 7...�h3 with an equal position still, Karjakin-Agdestein, Stavanger 2014, for example 18.�cS �xcS 19.°iYxcS �g2 20.fild7= etc.) 1 7... �xh4+ 18.@d2 j_d8!= and a quick draw was agreed in both Shirov-Morozevich, Biel 201 1 , and Dominguez Perez­ Nepomniachtchi, Sochi 2012. 1 6.0-0 Importantly, after castling Black can use tactics (against the white W) along the diagonal a7-g l . A) In my opinion, 16.�b6!? is the most annoying line, which requires a precise defence from Black:

.l:ic8D 2 1 . l:I.b7 �b4+ 22.Wf2 °iYxb6 23.l:!.xb6 �cs 24. .!:!.dl j_xdf+ 2S.�xd4 dxc4 26.0ic3± Kamsky-Shimanov, Tromso 2013; maybe 1 8 ... .l:.b8!? is bet­ ter, with the idea 1 9.0-0 l::l'.c 8! 20.l:1xc8 �xc8 2 1 .fS �c6= Kurnosov-Andreikin, Olginka tt 2012) 19.l:!.c6!? �h4+ 20.g3 �e7 2 1 . .l:.xc8+ �xc8 22.'it>d2 and the position is balanced, Saric-Lalic, Bal na Bracu 201 3 ; B) 1 6.fS!? i s also interesting:

analysis diagram

16 ...iVc8!? 1 7.nb3 �c4 1 8.fxe6?! (better is 1 8 .tiJdI �cs 1 9.c3 �xd4 20.cxd4 exfS 2 1 .0ie3 �c6 22.0-0 0-0= Watson) 1 8 .. .fxe6 1 9. .l:.fl �e7 20.iVd3 llc8+ Karjakin-Nakamura, Zug 2013. 16 ... .l:lb8

1 7. l:txbS TRICK: 1 7. �b6? �cS+!.

analysis diagram

1 6 ...�c8 1 7. .l:.c7 �d8 1 8.�d4 .l:.c8 (for instance, 1 8 ... �a3 1 9.tbbl �e7 20.c4! 216

• •

TRICK: 1 7. .l:rfbl nxb7 1 8 . .l:i.xb7 �c8 19.l:!b3 �cS=. 1 7 ... 'ii'x b8 1 8.f5 18.l:!bl �c7= Watson.

Chapter 1 6 1 8 ... 'i!VcB!? With pressure on fS . 1 9.f6 l 9.'i¥d3 �cS=. 1 9... gxf6! 20.lhf6 20.exf6 l:tg8!? favours Black. Now he could also play the rook move. 20 ... hS 21 . l:tf3 'i!Vc4 22.h3 �e7=

E • .i. .i. i i ,. i 8 ., �� M 8 ttJ 8 8 V/ii 8 @ 'With the bishop pair, Black has an edge' - Watson. 23.a3 ba3?! 23 .. Jlg8 !?. 24.tbe4! 24.tllxdS 'iVxdS 25 . .!l.xa3 l:ig8 26 . .i::!.b 3= Watson. 24 ... dxe4 2S.lha3 l:tg8 26.l:tb3 'i!Vc7 27.l:tc3 e3!? 28.�xe3 'ifxeS 29.l:td3 'i!VbS !? 30.l:tb3 'i!Vc6 31 . l:tbB+ .ice 32.c4!? 'ii'xc4 33.l:tb4?! 33.'i¥d6! 'i¥c2 34.g3= Watson. 33 ... 'ii'c6 34.l:td4 f6?! 34 ... �d7!:+. 3S.@h1 ? 35 . .l:!.d8+. 3S ... @t7 36. l:tds 'fibs+

-

Use Your Own Head in the French!: 8 . . . 'i¥b6

37.�h2 h4 37...'iYeS+!?. 38. �f4 'iffS 39.l:tc6? @g6? 39... l::rxgl+!-+ Agdestein. 40. :tc7 es 40 ...'i¥e4!-+ Agdestein. 41 . �e3 �e6?! 41 ...'i¥e4!:+. 42. 'ii' b 4! l:tg7 43. lhg7+ @xg7 44.'Wb7+ �f7 4S.'fi'xa6 'i!Ve4 46. 'i!Ve2 fS 47. 'Wf3 'ii'xf3 48.gxf3 @g6 49.f4 exf4 %-%

A Fresh and Flexible Move 1 5 I:i.cS!? •••

GAME 61 Sergey Karjakin (2771 ) Alexander Morozevich (2731) Dubai 2014 ( 1 5)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. l2Jc3 lLlf6 4.eS tiJfd7 S.f4 cs 6.tiJf3 tiJc6 7. �e3 cxd4 8.tiJxd4 'i!i'b6 9. 'i!i'd2 'fi'xb2 1 O. l:tb1 'ii'a 3 1 1 .�bS tiJxd4 1 2. �xd4 a6 1 3. �xd7+ �xd7 1 4.:Z.b3 'We7 1 S.lhb7 l:tc8!?

.!. i

8

�

• E .i. � i i i i i8 � 8

ttJ 8 iV @

88 M

At the time of writing, only 9 games have been played with this creative move. It looks more attractive than the previous passive lines 1 5 ...'ti'd8/�h4. 1 6.0-0 As in the previous game, castling allows favourable tactics (based on ... gcs), one of the points of which will be seen on the next move. 217

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 . tbc3 tbf6 /fl"- WEAPON: 1 6.fS!? and now: 1 6 ...'iVM+! ? (16 ...'ifa3 1 7. .!d.b3 �a5?? fails to 18.�b6!+-, but 1 6 ...exfS!? is definitely worthy of consideration: 1 7.tllx dS 'ifh4+ 1 8 .'i2td1 0 �e6 1 9.tllc7+ .llx c7 20 . .llxc7 �e7�) 1 7.g3 'ifg4oo Seyb-Ikonnikov, Furth 2014 (or 1 7...'ifh3!? with a double-edged game, according to Watson). 1 6 ... 'ii'a 3!

i � 8

a.

I.

• .t I. .t i i i i i8 � 8

l2J 8 'ii

88 g�

This move has the idea ... Acs, ... Axd4+ and ..."ifcs. 17 . .J:[b3 A) 1 7.fS Acs 1 8.tlle2 ( 1 8 . .!d.f3 �as) 1 8 ... exfS 19.'%}fgs g6 20.@hl �e7 2 1 ."iVh6 Af8 22."ifgs �e7 23.'1Wh6 �f8 24."ifgs 1/2-V2 Andriasyan-Bajarani, Moscow 2014; B) 1 7.l:tf3 "ifas 1 8.h3 (18.'1We3 l:tc4!?) 1 8 ... �cS 1 9.@h2 Ac6+:t 20.l:tb3 0-0 2 1 . �xcS 'ifxcS 22.tlle2 d4 23 . .l::!.g3 �a4 24. .l::i.a 3 .2.bs 25.fS 1/2-1/2 Ganguly-Potsch, Vlissingen 2012;

C) The most tricky option is 1 7.@h l !? -'!.b4! ( 1 7... AcS?? 1 8 . .2.xcS �xcS 1 9.tlle 4+- Asgari-Bajarani, Tehran 2014) 1 8.l:tf3 Ac6 1 9 . .l:f.b6 'iVaS ! ?+:t. 1 7 ... 'iYaS= 1 a. 'iYe3?! TRICK: 1 8 .-'!.b6?! -'Les+.

ti(

1 8 ... ..icS=F

i:

• .t

i iii

i i8 � 8 :a: l2J 'ii 88 8 8 n� Black is OK! 1 9. tlle2 0-0 20. .txcS :XcS 21 . tlld4 .J:[c4 22 . .J:[b7 .tea 23.l:.b2 'ifcs 24.:d1 .td7 2s.h3 h6 26. @h2 .tbs 27. ttd2 .J:[c3 28.'it'f2 i..a4 29.fS exfS 30. 'iYxfS 'iYc7 31 . .J:[b4 :ea 32.l:.e2 .td7 33. 'it'f4 f6 34. lllf3 .tbs 35.:e1 :Xc2 36. 'ii'g3 fxe5 37.lllxe5 l:.c3 3a. 'iYf4 .J:[c4 39. :Xc4 dxc4 40.'iYd4 .J:[dB 41 . 'ii'c3 .J:[d3 42.'ii'c2 .J:[d5 43. 'iYc3 l:.d3 44. 'ifc2 'it'd6 45.@h1 .J:[d2 46. 'ii'fS 'it'f6 47.'it'g4 :Xa2 4a. 'it'd4 .J:[f2 49. 'it'dS+ @h7 50. @g1 c3 S1 .lllf3 .J:[b2 s2.:c1 'ifg6 53.tlle5 'iYb6+ 54.'iPh2 'ii'e3 55.h4 'it'f4+ 56.@h3 .J:[e2 S7. lllg4 'ifxc1 sa. tllf6+ @g6 S9. lllg 4 'ifh1 + 60.@g3 'ifxg2+ 0-1

Summary: After playing a total of three games with 8 ...'iVb6 I never repeated it again, as I don't much like forced variations and computer lines. Such an early queen sortie is not typical for the usual strategic, closed-and-slow French game, but it provokes White into making instant decisions, at move 9 , for example. Over the years, computer chess has become more and more similar to human chess, but likewise humans have started to play more and more like machines. Even so, my surprising weapon, created in 1 9 84, is still alive and successful. 218

Chapter 17

-

A Legendary Pin

The Maccutcheon Variation 1 .e4 es 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 tllf6 4.�gS i.b4

'As in many positions in the French Defence, both sides have a big variety of moves and plans to follow, especially in Winawer structures (occurring mostly after l .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 .tl'ic3 �b4 4.eS cS 5.a3 �xc3+ 6.bxc3).' - GM Mekhitarian in CBM 142. But we can say the same about Maccutcheon lines! Introduction The MacCutcheon Variation emerged at the end of the 1 9th Century. The first re­ corded game with it was in a simultaneous display against William Steinitz at the Manhattan Chess Club on Thanksgiving Day, November 1 885. For a long time a refutation by White of this popular variation has been sought, but I think that the old MacCutcheon still has many resources and several unexplored ideas. This is the reason why the variation stays alive year after year and has been successfully defended even at the highest levels by super grandmasters such as Viktor Kortchnoi and Alexander Morozevich. The Variation's Secret The opening begins with a few tactical tricks (such as 5.eS h6!), but after that almost the entire game is based on the strategy of preparing attacks. The main positions are very closed if Black blocks the centre by playing . . . c7-c5-c4 (see Kortchnoi's games in the following) , or semi-open after . . . c7 -c5 -cxd4/ 'i:Va5 (Morozevich's preferred plan) or White's move dxcS . In all cases the game develops quite progressively. In contrast to other, similar variations in the French, in this line two minor pieces are exchanged ( . . . �c3 and . . . tl'ixd 2 ) , so the potential to play for an attack dimi­ nishes, although the major pieces remain on the board, as do most of the pawns (usually, 1 4- 1 6 of them) . A feature of this variation is that White can easily increase the number of his pieces on the kingside. 219

Part Three Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tllc 3 tt:Jf6 -

Meanwhile, after exchanging his f8-bishop and his g8-knight, Black is slightly pas­ sive and he must either prepare counterplay in the centre with his usual French break ... c7-c5 or block the centre with ... c7-c5-c4, preparing a counterattack on the queenside with ... b7-b5/... a7-a5/...b5-b4.

With the centre closed, White can also advance his f-, g- and h-pawns to attack on the kingside. Finally, the best part of this variation is that the kings can move freely! Directions 5.e5 h6 -

i: ii i� i i8 � 8 •

t2J 888 888 :g: '{i' � � t2J :g: .t

Main Line: 6.lld2 llxc3 7.bxc3 tt::'ie4 8.'iYg4 (Games 62-69) Old Lines: 6.llh4 (Game 70) Modern Lines: 6.lle3 (Game 71) and 6.llcl (Game 72) Analysis of the Main Lines with 6.lld2, 8. 'iYg4 The opening continues with S.eS h6, after which 6.�d2!? is the most popular move for White. Now, after 6 ... llxc3 7.bxc3 tt::'ie4 White attacks g7 with 8.'ifg4!. This is the most aggressive move against the French Defence in general.

220

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gs �b4

We have arrived at the main position in the system. White is preparing action on the kingside .

.-::.. Some Statistics Black has two normal ways of defending his g7-pawn: A) 8 @f8 ( 1 1 3 0 games in Mega Base, with the result=44.4%) . B) 8 g6 (2 0 3 7 games=46%) . Morozevich used to play 8 ... @f8, but later he replaced this with 8 ... g6, whereas Kortchnoi did the opposite, opting for 8 ... @f8. White usually plays 9 . �d3 / W3 /h2-h4 and sometimes 'ti'f4 / 'ti'd l without worrying about the order of these moves. ...

...

A) 8 @f8 ...

-

the 'strategic' defence

• :I j. ' j. j. j. 8 8 � 'Ii' 8 8� This is a 'strategic' defence of the g7-square, appropriate in the French. Black loses the right to castle, but he keeps his kingside free of weaknesses and retains a flexible pawn structure. Today, this is the favourite option of Kortchnoi and Volkov, two Maccutcheon experts (Games 62-66).

771

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . tbc3 tbf6 B) 8 g6 - the most popular, 'dynamic' move ...

:i i i i� - - i �·i=- �·-ic=-· �i i8 8� � 8 8 Ji 8 8 8 � Ji ttJ M. With this move Black keeps the option to castle queenside, but the price is the weakening of his kingside and, especially, of the f6-square. This line has been used by Morozevich quite often (Games 67-69). Analysis of the Modern Lines: 6.�e3 and 6.�c l One of Black's main resources i n many lines o f the Maccutcheon Variation is the 'Black Jet' plan with the pawn moves ... h7-h5 and ...g7-g5.

:i � .i. 'i!V . :i ii i i ii8 ii 8 � iY 8 Ji ii 8 8 888 M. � tt:J M. Felgaer-Moskalenko (6.�d2, 9.�e3)

:i � .i. 'i!V . :i i ii i ii8 ii 8 � iY 8 8 Ji ii 8 888 M. � tt:J M. Erdogdu-Moskalenko (6.�e3)

See Games 65, 69 and 7 1 (the black king may be on e8 or f8 and the white a2-pawn may be on a3). For other examples on 6.�c l . see Game 72 .

•

PUZZLE

Finally, there is a quite striking optical secret in the MacCutcheon that may be of practical interest: there is not so much difference between 6.�d2 and 6.�e3, since after 6.�d2 �xc3 7.bxc3 tZ:le4 8.�g4 g6 (or 8 ...Wf8) White can always surprise Black by playing 9.�e3!? and the same position arises, the only difference being the a-pawn's position: a2/a3, and the black king being on e8 or f8. However, for the reasons I mentioned, the variation with 6.�cl!? can be even more tricky! (Game 72)

222

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gS �b4

A Legendary Pin - Games Games 62-66: 8 @f8 ...

First we study White's natural develop­ ing move 9.t2Jf3 . In my opinion, the fol­ lowing was the sharpest in this line.

GAME 62 Nigel Short (2660) Alexander Morozevich (2590) Germany Bundesliga 1 998/99 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. c!OC3 ttJf6 4. .tgs i.b4 5.e5 h6

I 1 • .t 'i¥ 9' i i iii i� i i 8 it .t 8 c1J

888 888 : 'iV� il tt:J l:'. 6.i.d2 Two old and almost forgotten methods are 6.exf6 and 6.�h4 (see Game 70). Two other popular moves for White are 6.�e3 and 6.�c l . which will be exam­ ined in Games 7 1 and 72. 6 ... i.xc3 7.bxc3 Incidentally, 7.�xc3 does not seem to be a good idea: 7 ... t2Je4 8.t2Je2 0-0 9.�b4 cS! 10.�a3

10 ...t2Jc6!? (this move promises Black good chances in the forthcoming strug­ gle. (10 ...bS!?+:t is also good: 1 1 .dxcS? b4! 12.�xb4 �h4! etc.) l l .f3 bS! 1 2.fxe4 b4i and Black's lead in development begins to play a significant role, Svidler­ Morozevich, Frankfurt 1 999. 7 ... tbe4 8. 'ii'g4 �f8

9' I ii i i i8 8 � 'Ii'

8 8 il

888 � il tt:J l:'.

Keeping the pawn structure intact. Later, Morozevich chose 8 ... g6 (Games 67-69). 9.tbf3 cs 1 0. i.d3 tbxd2 1 1 . �xd2 c4 1 2 . i.e2 c!OC6 The critical position in this line.

ff!"'- WEAPON: In many games, ex­ pert grandmaster Sergey Volkov has played 1 2 ...bS!?. For example, 1 3 .a4 bxa4 14 . .l:i.xa4 �d7 1 5 .l::ra al t2Jc6 16.h4 as 1 7.'iff4 a4 1 8.g4oo Ganguly-Volkov, Moscow 2007.

I .t 'if • I ii ii i � i i8 � i8 8 c1J 8 � il 8 8 8 l'I

analysis diagram

TRICK: 10.dxcS? 'iWh4!-+.

1 3.a4!? To prevent ...b7-b5. Some alternatives, leading to typical play, are: 1 3 .h4 bS 14.a3

223

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tlx3 tt::lf6

• .i II • I I I I8 I8 "J/il /j 8 8 ttJ 8 \!J il. 8 8 � � .i I

.! if

analysis diagram

and now: 14 ... �d7 (or 14 ... a5 1 5 .°iVf4 �e7 16.h5 .l:!.b8 1 7.g4 with a complex game, Smeets-Socko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010) 1 5 .h5 (1 5.'iVf4 is similar: 1 5 ... We7 1 6.h5 �e8 1 7.tLlM a5 1 8.'iVg3 ng8 1 9.'iie 3 �d7 20.f4 b4!? 2 1 ..!::lhbloo and this tense game ended in a draw, J.Polgar­ Kortchnoi, Wijk aan Zee 2000) 1 5 ... a5 1 6.'iVf4 'iVe7 1 7.'iVe3 ti.b8 1 8 .ti.hbl We8 1 9.g4 Wd8 20.g5 Wc7 2 1 . l:Igl hxg5 22.'iixg5 'iYxgs+ 23.tt::lxg5 .l:i.bf8= without any possibilities of improv­ ing the position, Hernandez Guerrero­ Moskalenko, Evry (rapid) 2001 . 1 3 ... .td7 1 3 .. .f5!?N is in Nimzowitsch style. 1 4.h4! There's no other way.

.i i .I 8 �

if .i.

• .i II I • I 18 Wil 8 18 8 ttJ 8 � il. 8 8 �

1 4 ... a6 Volkov has preferred: A) 14 ...'i¥e7 1 5.h5 b6 1 6 .tt::lM 'i¥g5+ 1 7.f4 'iYxg4 1 8 . �xg4 tt::le 7 1 9.a5 b5!= Akopian-Volkov, Port Erin 2006, and

224

B) 14... �e8 1 5 . ti.h3 .l::i.g 8 16.h5 We7 l 7.tt::lh4 �a5oo T.L.Petrosian-Volkm-. Moscow Aerofl.ot 2006; C) But 14 ...'i¥a5!?� is the option given by the engine: with the possibility to at­ tack (and win) the pawn on a4. 1 5. 'iff4 b5 1 6.g4 Short replies symmetrically by attacking on the other flank. If 1 6 . .l:!.hbl bxa4!?. 1 6... b4!? This advance is always interesting. A) 1 6 ...bxa4!? is also possible; B) Or 1 6 ... tt::le 7 1 7.axb5 axbS 1 8 .hS .l:!.a4�. which is a strong defensive con­ cept, Antok-Baches Garcia, Barcelona 2003. 1 7.cxb4 tillc: b4 1 8.c3 ttJc6 1 9.l:lhb1 l:lb8 20. .td1 lba5

.i I • 8

if .i.

• .i II

I 18 1 8 °il 8 8 8 ttJ \!; 8 � � iL

The position is balanced, but there is still a long game ahead ... 21 . �e1 ! ll:ib3 22. .txb3 cxb3 23.'ii'c 1 g5 I assume that Morozevich did not want a draw, as in the line 23 ... Wg8 24.'iVa3 'i¥b6 25.tt::ld 2 °iVd8=. 24.'ifa3+ 24.hS!?. 24... g7 25.l:lxb3? This allows Black to open the game on the opposite wing. 2s.wd2!?00. 25 ... l:lxb3 26. 'ii'xb3 h5!t Now Black's counterplay becomes very dangerous.

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gs �b4 tial advantage will tell, since he can bring his pieces to either wing more quickly. This is White's main advantage. Black must prepare ...b5-b4 carefully. In any case, there are many possibili­ ties and resources in these complicated lines. The critical line occurs when White plays h2-h4 and �h3 . 27.gxhS g4 28.llld2 lb:h5?! 28 ...�xh4!, to activate the queen. 29. �e2 'ifxh4 30.l:tg1 l:[fS 30 ...�gS!?. 31 .l:tg3 l:[f4 32.lllf1 f5?! This is too risky. 32 ... aS=. 33. 'ii'b 7! 'ife7 34. 'ifxa6 l:te4+ 35.l:te3 :Xe3+ 36.lllxe3

if 8

A 'if 9 i i8 i i 8 8 QJ rJ;; 8

36... i.eB? The decisive mistake. Black had to try 36 ...�a3 D , with possibilities of escaping. 37.aS i.hs 38.'ifdG 'ii'f7 39.'ifde g3+ 40.�1 f4 41 .'ifg5+ 'it;f8 42.lllg2 i.e2+ 43.@e1 f3 44.lllf4 g2 45.lllxe2 fxe2 46. 'ifxg2 'iffS 47. 'ifg3 'ifc2 48. 'ii'f4+ 'ilte8 49. 'ifd2 'ifa4 50. �xe2 'ifxa5 51 . 'ifd3 �8 52. � 'ifa1 53. �4 'ifh1 54. 'iff3 'ii'h7 55. 'iff8+ Black resigned.

Summary of 9. ti:Jf3 :

Black has no serious weaknesses, but when complications arise White's spa-

GAME 63 Andrey Volokitin (2671 ) Viktor Kortchnoi (261 5) lgualada 2005 (1)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. lllc3 lllf6 4. i.g5 i.b4 5.e5 h6 6.i.d2 i.xc3 7.bxc3 lt:le4 e. 'ii'g 4 �ta 9.i.d3 lt:lxd2 1 0. �xd2 cs For the endgame after 1 0 ...�gS+!?, see Iglesias-Moskalenko, Game 66. 1 1 .h4!?

I � A :ei • I ii ii i i • ii8 8 'if 8 8� 8 8� 8 8 ll tlJ .s

A logical move. White brings his rook to the third rank - this is the plan favoured in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. 1 1 ... lllcG

� WEAPON: Kortchnoi invariably closes the pos1t1on: 1 1 .. .c4 1 2..�.fl !? (this is another im­ portant possibility, in order to play tLie2-tl:if4-tl:ihS. 1 2 . �e2 is the move in the present game) 1 2 . .. tLic6 1 3.tl:ie2 bS 14.a3 as 1 5 .l::l'.h 3.

225

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tlx3 tLlf6 TRICK: 1 3 . . . dxc3+? is a mis­ take: 14.@e l g6 1 5 . �xg6 t[.g8 16.�f3!+-.

,. ii 8 :

i i i8 i8 'iY 8 8 : 8 � (fj 8 8 �

analysis diagram

It is dangerous for Black to delay seek­ ing counterplay for too long: 1 5 ... �d7 (1 5 ... .l::i.g 8 prepares an escape route for the king: 1 6 .tllf4 .i'.:!.a7 (after 1 6 ...tlle 7 17. .l:i.f3 tllf5! Black retains counterplay, J.Polgar-Kortchnoi, Zurich blitz 2006) 1 7.l:rf3 �d7 l8.nb1 .l::!.b7 1 9. �e2 tlle 7 20.�hS We8 21 .'tWg4= was a draw in 65 moves, Aronian-Vallejo Pons, Menorca jr 1 996) 1 6 .tllf4 tlle 7!? (a typical defensive resource. However, it reduces Black's possibilities of counter­ attacking on the opposite wing. 16 ... b4 1 7. .ld.f3 bxc3+ 1 8 .@dl h5 1 9.tllxh5 .l::i.g 8 20.Wel �b6� was Lutz-Kortchnoi, Essen 2002) 1 7.tllh 5 ng8 (or 1 7... tllf5!? 1 8.�f4 b4!� Fressinet-Belozerov, Izmir 2004) 1 8.�f4?! b4! 1 9.axb4 axb4 20 . .l::i.x a8 bxc3+ 2 1 ..l:i.xc3 �xa8 22.g4 'llia S!+: and Black has made the best of the Maccutcheon, A. Muzychuk-E.Pahtz, Krasnoturinsk 2007. The alternative is 1 1 ...'llia 5!?. Surprisingly, this counterattack is not used by the best players. Perhaps they are afraid of White's attack... 1 2 . l:rh3!? (White sur­ renders his centre. The main alternative, 1 2.dxcS, is given below - see the line 1 1 ...tllc6) 1 2 ...cxd4 1 3.ng3. The critical position in this line. If there is no mate, Black is OK. 1 3 ... g5? (panic!) 14.hxg5!± with an ini­ tiative for White, Ara Minasian-Volkov, Jurmala jr 1 992. 226

TRICK: 13 ... g6 14.iiL.xg6? (14.�xd4 tllc 6 1 5.'iVf4oo) 14 ... l:lg8 1 5 . .l::i.f3 .l:i.xg6! 1 6.'iYxg6 'iVxc3+!. winning in all lines.

,_,,,.. WEAPON: 13 ... 'iYxc3+! could be the critical move: 14.We2 ng8

.i � .t ii

analysis diagram

1 5.I;iel!? (15.�h7? d3+!-+, Salgado Lopez­ Diaz Rodriguez, Sevilla 2006) 15 ...tllc6!? 16.@fl �d7= W.Adams-Shipman, South Fallsburg 1 948. Summary: The sharp possibility I 1 ... 'iVaS!? 12 . .l:!.h3 has not been well ex­ plored. The king on f8 is not very safe now, but White does not have great attacking resources either. Both sides should investigate 13 ...'iYxc3, a line full of interesting resources. 1 2 . .:th3 c4

.i .t 'if • .i ii ii ,. i i i8 i8 'iV 8 :g 8� 8 8� 8 8 (fj :g

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �g5 �b4 The plans for both sides are perfectly plain: White tries to create something on the kingside, while Black plays on the opposite side, aiming to advance ...b5b4. 1 3 . .ie2 For 13.�fl . see the comments to l l ...c4. 1 3 ... bS I'm sure that Kortchnoi has tried out all the possible moves in this line, like 13 ... l:tg8 14.V!i'f4 �d7 1 5 . �h5 �e8oo Anand-Kortchnoi, Dos Hermanas 1 999. /fl"- WEAPON: I have personally analysed a radical idea: 13 ...tlle 7!? 14.h5 and now 14...'iYb6!?N, pre­ paring a counterattack with the queen: ...'iYb2.

• E �i i i i i8 8 i8 � � 8 8 \tf ]L 8 8 tlJ

E .t ii 'iV

8 �

A more recent example saw 14 ... �d7 1 5.�h5 �e8 16.nf3 V!i'e7 1 7.a3

E i

.t • E 'iV i i i � i i i8 j, i8 � 8 � 8 8 8 \t/ 8 8 � tlJ analysis diagram

1 7... a5 (1 7... l:tb8!? with the idea ... l:1b6a6) 18.tllh3 l:ta7 l 9.'iYg3 b4!+ Al Modiahki-Peralta, Troms0 Olympiad 2014. 1 5 . .ihS @ea 1 6.a3 as 1 7J:tg3 l:l.ge 1 8.lllf3 J:.a7 1 9.lllh2

• E 'iV i i i � i ii i8 j, i8 � 8 8 8 � 8 \t/ 8 8 tt:J .t

i

analysis diagram

This plan becomes effective because White has given up his control of the first rank with l:th3: 1 5.V!i'f4 �d7 16.l:!.f3 �e8 and two white pieces ('iV+l:!.) is not enough material for a serious at­ tack, so 1 7.'it>el 'i¥b2!?, forcing White to exchange the queens: 1 8 .'iVcl 'iVxcl+ 19 . .l::i.x cl b5 and this interesting end­ game seems to favour Black slightly. 1 4. 'Wf4 The variation 14. .!:1f3 �d7 (l 4... a5 1 5.'iVf4 l:ta7�) 1 5 .tllh 3 tlle 7 is quite balanced, but after 16.tllf4? tllf5! now White has problems, Lopez Barrera­ Wilson, ICC Internet 2005. 1 4 ... 'We7

Volokitin tries to improve his pieces for the attack, however Black has already made more progress on the queenside. 1 9... @de 1 9...b4!?. 20. .ie2 b4t Black's chances are better now. 21 .axb4? 2 1 .h5 �b7!?. 21 ...axb4 22.l:l.xa7 'ifxa7 More attractive was 22 ... bxc3+! 23 . .l:txc3 'tj'xa7 24.tllf3 @e7 25.'iVe3 'iVa5f. 23.cxb4 lllx d4 24. 'We3 Now neither side has enough material to create dangerous threats. The game tac­ tically ends in a draw. 227

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tllc3 tLif6 24 ... 'ifa1 25. 'ifa3 lllb3+ 26.:Xb3 'ii'd 4+ 27. c,1;>c1 cxb3 28. 'ifaS+ �e7 29. 'ifc7+ .td7 30. 'ii'd6+ �e8 31 . 'ii' b8+ c,1;>e7 32. 'ifd6+ %-%

Sununary of 1 1 .h4: A study of this interesting collection of games by experts such as Viktor Kortchnoi (Black) and other elite players with white will always help the reader. In my opinion, Black's position is solid, but somewhat passive; behind the barri­ cades. After l 2 .I::th 3, please pay attention to my radical counter-plan with 1 3 ...tbe7 and 14...'ii'b 6!. Black's main alternative is to play a semi-open game without the blockading move ... c5-c4, but with ... cxd4 for Black or dxcS for White, as shown in the fol­ lowing game.

GAME 64 Viacheslav Borisenko (2302) David Anton Guijarro (2462) Albena 201 1 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lOC3 tt::\f6 4. .ig5 .ib4 5.e5 h6 6 . .id2 .ixc3 7.bxc3 tt::\e4 8. 'ifg4 �8 9. .td3 tt::\xd 2 1 0. c;f;>xd2 c5 1 1 .tt::\f3 cxd4!? This might be a universal solution against the opening move 4Jf3 (instead of h2-h4). Here are some possibilities in­ volving White's dxcS: l I ...4Jc6!?...

analysis diagram

228

... and now: 1 2.dxcS (trying to open the position; l 2.'li'f4 'ife7!? (for 1 2 ...'MVaS!? see the present game; and l 2 ...c4 is similar to Game 62) 13.a3 ..id? 14.mi.bl b6 1 5.'iVe3 tLias 16.'tt>e l �c8 (Black could also close the position now with 16 ...c4!?, when he will have gained several tempi compared with Kortchnoi's ideas mentioned in Games 62 and 63: 1 7. ..ie2 ..ia4=) 1 7.Wfl=_ In this position any reasonable move or plan is valid for Black, Anand-Ivanchuk, Linares m-8 1992) 12 ...'ifaS 13.'iVf4 'ifxcS 14.4Jd4 tllxd4! (exchanges ease Black's task. 14 ... �d7!? was seen in Morozevich-Vallejo Pons, Pamplona 1998/99) 1 5.'VWxd4 (if 1 5.cxd4 Vi!YaS+ 16.We2 b6!? with the idea 1 7.�g6 Vi!Ybs+ 18.Wf3 'ife8=) 1 5 ...'ifxd-l­ (15 ...'1We7= or 1 5 ...'1Wc7= amount to the same) 16.cxd4 ..id? 1 7.IDibl �b8!=. White retains slight pressure on the queen­ side, where there is nothing to attack. A draw is the most likely result, Lacasa Diaz­ Moskalenko, Catalunya 2006. Summary of dxc5: In a semi-open game Black does not have the aggressive resources that arise in the blocked posi­ tions after ... c5-c4. His king is not very safe on f8, but White also lacks attacking resources. After a few exchanges, unbal­ ancing the position becomes an impos­ sible task.

1 2.cxd4 ,,,.... WEAPON: 1 2.4Jxd4 'IWgS+!? (a similar idea appears in Game 66 or 1 2 ... 4Jd7 1 3.'1Wf4 tLlcS+:t Espinoza Palomino-Oms Pallisse,

Chapter 1 7 Havana 201 1) 1 3.'ifxg5 hxg5 14.h3 0id7 1 5 . .l::.tael 0ic5� Inarkiev-Nepomniachtchi, Novo­ sibirsk 2012. 1 2... 'ti'a5+ 1 3.c3 1 3.\t>e2

-

A Legendary Pin: 4. £.gs £.b4

24 ... ttJxe5!+ Tactics and strategy - both should go to­ gether. 25.Ae2 25.dxe5 d4-+; 25.'ifxeS 'ti'xc3+ 26.Wdl 'ti'd3+-+. 25 ... .:1.fcB 26.tiJb5 tbc4+ 27. hc4 :Xc4 28. 'ii'g3 .txb5 29.axb5 :Xd4+ 30. @c2 .:l.a4 31 . :Xa4 0-1 'ii'xa4+ 32 . .J:r.b3 d4

Summar y of this semi-open line: l l .h4 'ifa5 is unclear. l l .0if3 0ic6 1 2.dxc5 is equal. l l .0if3 cxd4!? is interesting. These are all valuable alternatives to the closed positions which arise after ...c5c4. An attacking plan worked out by Peter Svidler is 9.�e3, imitating the popular idea of 6.£.e3 (another possible plan for White is 9.'ti'f4/'ti'dl with the idea . .. 0ixd2, 'ti'xd2 and kingside castling). •

•

•

analysis diagram

1 3 ...b6!? (13 ...0ic6 14.°iVf4 b6 is similar, Roser-Vallejo Pons, Aix-les-Bains Ech 201 1) 14.'iff4 £.a6� Viszlai-Vavrak, Tatranske Zruby 2002. 13 ... b6! With active counterplay on the queenside. 1 4. 'ii"f4 tbc6 TRICK: But not immediately 14 ... �a6?? because of 1 5 . �g6+-. 1 5.h4?! Too late. 1 5 ... AaG=F Black's king is safer now. 1 6. Ag6 lDdB 1 7. llle 1 'ti'b5 1 8. 'ii'f3 l:!.c8 1 9.tbc2 q;e7 1 9... Wg8!?. 20.Ah5 J:f8 21 .a4 'ira5 22.:l.hb1 tbc6 23.1i'e3 .l:tc7 24.ll)a3

f('

We will begin the study of Black's defensive resources against the modern 6.£.e3 with the following game, and we will analyse this plan more deeply in Games 69 and 7 1 .

GAME 65 Peter Svidler (2672) Nigel Short (2683) Internet (rapid) 2000

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. tbc3 tLlf6 4.Ag5 Ab4 5.e5 h6 6.Ad2 Axc3 7.bxc3 llie4 a. 'ii'g 4 @fa 9. Ae3 Peter Svidler's attack. 6.�e3 is more popular, but at first sight the same posi­ tion arises! Only here the white pawn is on its original square instead of a3, and both players may be able to take advan­ tage of this difference. 9.'ti'dl is another strange plan. This manoeuvre allows White to castle (if ...0ixd2, 'iVxd2), but he wastes several tempi and some attacking chances (with

229

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . �3 tLlf6 9.�f4 White has the same problem): 9 ... cS l0.�d3 tLlxd2 l l .�xd2 tLlc6! l 2.tLlf3 c4!? (as usual, semi-open play was the main alternative: 1 2 ... Was 1 3 .dxcS �xcS 14.�bl playing for the centre and the queenside, Kurnosov-Volkov, Dresden Ech playoff rapid 2007. However, Black is very solid and has no weaknesses. For example, 14 ... b6!?) 1 3 . .2.e2 We7!? (with the idea ...�a3) 14.a4!? b6 1 5 .g3 We8 (15 ... Wg8!? was another way to 'castle') 1 6.tlJM Wd8 1 7.f4 g6 1 8.tLlg2 hS= Ricardi-Kortchnoi, Buenos Aires 200 1 . 9... lt:Jxc3 Capturing the pawn is not forced, and it is certainly out of place in the Mac­ Cutcheon! /f1"'- WEAPON: I am sure that 9... cS! will always be the most creative reply, giving Black many interesting resources: 1 0 . .2.d3 and now Black must take profit of his extra move: 1 0 ...tLlxc3!? (10 ... hS!? would be in the spirit of the variation: l l .�f4 gS!? is a famous resource in the MacCutcheon Variation 1 2.�f3 tLlxc3oo) 1 1 .dxcS �aS!?+:t.

(13 .tLld2 tLlxcS!) 13 ... tLlxcSoo and from here on, both sides can try to show what they're worth. 1 0. �d3 10.tLle2! ?. 1 0 ... tllcG PUZZLE: 10 . . .cS!? 1 1 .dxcS 'ti"aS transposes to 9... cS. 1 1 . tllf3 tllb4 1 2. �d2

*

• I ii i i i8 � 8 �� 8� 8 8 8 �

1 2 ... lt:Jxd3+ 1 2 ...tLlbxa2 is very risky, since the black knights are not safe on enemy territory. 1 3.h4!?�. 1 3.cxd3 tlla4 1 4.0-0 �d7 1 s. :ab1 b6 1 6.tllh 4 'ifeB 1 6 ... cS!?. 1 7. .J:[fe1 !? Svidler chooses to attack with his pieces. 1 7.f4 g6oo. 1 7... @gB 1 8 . .J:[e3 .J:[h7! A truly spectacular move. 1 9 . .J:[g3 'it>hB 20. .J:[e1 White needs more material for his attack. 20 ... :ca 21 . .J:[ee3 c5! 22 . .J:[ef3 cxd4 23. 'ifxd4 .l:[c2+

j_

analysis diagram

PUZZLE: Now it is clear that the position is different from those arising after 6 . .2.e3 , since White's a-pawn should be on a3 in order to play 1 2 . �b4. (1 1 ...tLlc6! ?) 1 2.tLlf3 (12.�d2 'ti°a4!) 12 ...tLle4+ 1 3 .Wfl 230

� 8

�

.

iii i i i8 � ttJ 8 gg I� 8 8 8 �

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gs �b4 Black has a clear advantage in this position. Both players are deploying their rooks to maximum effect. 24. 'ii'f4 :Xa2 25.h3 :Xd2? Now, however, Svidler's rooks will finally manage to gain control of the board. 2S ...@g8! 26.�b4 tt:'ics+ was better. 26. 'ifxd2 g5! A typical MacCutcheon advance. 27. 'ii'b4 as 2a.'ii'd 4 'ifca 29 . .l:[e3 'ii'c3 30. 'ii'g 4 d4 31 .l:[e4 lllc5 32.:Xd4

32 ... a4?? The decisive error by Short. 32 ...�el+!?; 32 ... tt:'ib3 33 . .l::!.xd7 �cl+ 34.@h2 tt:'id2 3S.tt:'ig6+ fxg6=. 33.ltJf3 'ii'c 1 + 34. h2 h5 If 34 ... a3 3S.tt:'ixgS �xgS (3S ... hxgS 36.�f3+-) 36.�f3 �d8 37 . .l::!.dg4 and White wins. 35.'ii'x gS 'ii'x g5 36.ttJxgS .l:[g7 37. .l:[d6 :Xg5 3a.:Xg5 a3 39.d4 a2 40.dxcS a1 'ii' 41 . lhd7 'ii'c 1 42 . .:.XhS+ g7 43 . .l:[h4 bxc5 44.g3 wra 45 . .l:[f4 �ea 46. Afxf7 1 -0

Summary: In my opinion, the 9.�e3 manoeuvre is dubious in this situation. Black gains a tempo, a pawn, and sufficient coun­ terplay. In any case, we should analyse more deeply the reply 9 ... cS, simply because it is more in the Maccutcheon spirit! More analysis of similar positions after 6.�e3 tt:'ie4 7.'i¥g4 Wf8 will be given in Game 7 1 .

After 8 ...@f8 9.�d3 tt:'ixd2 10.@xd2 Black has a peculiar alternative: 1 0 ...�gS+!? - endings are basic!

GAME 66 Jorge Iglesias (2256) Viktor Moskalenko (251 1 ) Spain 2001 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. lllc3 ltJf6 4.�g5 �b4 5.e5 h6 6.�d2 �xc3 7.bxc3 ttJe4 a. 'ii'g 4 @fa 9.�d3 The immediate attack against the knight on e4 allows the exchange of queens: 9 ... ttJxd2 1 0.@xd2 'ii'g 5+!? A possibility that has not been used very often. However, I think that the ending offers interesting motifs. 10 ... cS is the usual move. 1 1 . 'ii'x g5 hxg5

• i. ii i i8 8 8 Ji 8� 8 8 8 tLJ � 1 2.ttJh3!? A) Slightly passive is 1 2 .tt:'ie2 cS! TRICK: 13.f4? c4 winning a piece, Capablanca-Stearns, Cleveland simul 1 922. B) Against the critical move 12.g4!? a good option seems to be 1 2 .. .f6! 1 3.h4 fxeS 14.dxeS tt:'ic6 (14 ...tt:'id7 I S.tt:'if3 gxh4 16.J;lael h3! 1 7.tt:'igS �e7oo) 1 S.tt:'if3 gxh4 1 6 . .l::!.ael h3! 1 7. .!:!h2 �d7 1 8 . .l:Iehl @e7 1 9.t:l'.xh3 .ld.xh3 20.�xh3 �g8=, Gdanski-Dittmar, St Vincent Ech 2000. 1 2 ...g4! 12 .. .f6? is a mistake here: 1 3 .f4! g4 14.tlJf2 fS I S .g3! cs 1 6.h3 and White is better.

t('

23 1

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tllc3 t:Df6 1 3. tllf4 1 3 .llJg5 .ld.hS !?. 1 3... g5! The 'Black Jet' attack is a famous resource in the Maccutcheon Variation. The alternative is 13 ... cS and now: 14.h3 (;::: 14.�e2 tllc6 1 5 .@e3 llJaSoo Jackova­ Repkova, Turin Olympiad 2006) 14 ...g3! TRICK: 1 5.fxg3? gS 1 6.llJe2 c4, trapping the �d3 . 1 4. tlle2 c5<=

•

The endgame is quite balanced, but Black also has chances of gaining the full point. 1 5. tllg3 tllc6 1 6.�e3 i..d7 1 6 ... b6!?. 1 7. .:.ab1 b6! 1 8.h3 A) 1 8 . �bS cJi;e7 1 9.�xc6 �xc6+ Groszpeter-Yu, Kecskemet 20 10; B) 1 8 . �e2 nM 1 9. i[bs We7+ Becerra Rivero-Nogueiras Santiago, Santa Clara 1998. 18 ... gxh3 1 9. :Xh3 .J:.xh3 20.gxh3 'iii>e7!l=

.i i

!'3:i

232

.t • i '� i ii8 i !'3:i 15:, � � CiJ !'3:i !'3:i 8

:

21 .tllh5 l:r.hB 22.i..e2 tlla5 ! 23.l:r.g1 23.f4 llJc4+ 24.Wf2 llJd2! is winning for Black. 23 ... tllc4+ 24. hc4 .J:.xh5 25.i..f1 f6! The most useful resource for Black in the French. 26.exf6+ 'iti>xf6 27. :g3 27 . .i:;rg4 �M!? 28.l:rxM gxM+. 27 .. J:lh4 28. i..d3 l:r.f4! 29.l:r.g4 .J:.xg4 30.hxg4 i..a 4!

White has problems saving this position. 31 . 'iii>d 2 Or also 3 1 .f4 c4 32.�e2 (32.�h7? @g7) 32 ... �xc2+. 31 ... e5! 32.dxe5+ �xe5 33. 'iti>e3 d4+! Winning easily. 34.cxd4+ cxd4+ 35.@f3 i..c6+ 36.'itg3 i..e 4! 37.f3 i..xd3 38.cxd3 b5! Pawns are the soul of chess! 39.f4+0 gxf4+ 40. �f3 a5 41 .g5 b4! 42.g6 @16 0-1 This can be an interesting line for those who like to play endgames. If White wants to avoid this ending, he will have to play 9.llJf3, which considerably narrows down his options in the opening.

Summary 8 @fS: ...

This king move allows Black to con­ trol the situation, equalizing the game in many lines, but in order to win he needs superior endgame technique. White must attack without letting up.

Chapter 1 7 The critical line is characterized by the white moves h2-h4 and k!.h3 (Games 63 and 64). In the following games (67-69) we will investigate Black's most popular 8th move: 8 ... g6. First we will check the classical blockade ... cS-c4 in another game by Viktor Kortchnoi.

-

A Legendary Pin: 4. �gs �b4

,_.... WEAPON: The direct l l ...c4 is an

interesting option, with the idea l 2 . �e2 �d7!?, controlling the f6-square and preparing .. .f7-f6 and/or .. .f7-fS (which is unusual according to Kortchnoi).

GAME 67 Vasily Panov Viktor Kortchnoi Leningrad ti 1 953

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tLic3 tllf6 4. i..g 5 i..b4 5.e5 h6 6. i..d2 .b:c3 7.bxc3 tlle4 8. 'Wg4 g6!? As we see, veteran grandmaster Kortchnoi used this move early on, but later he re­ placed it by the king move 8 ...c;t>fs. 9. i..d 3 tllxd2 1 0. �xd2 cs

analysis diagram

There could follow: 13 . .l:i.h3 (1 3.hS?! gS 14.f4 is met by 14 .. .fS! 1 S .�g3 g4+ and White's minor pieces cannot get into play) 1 3 ...'ti'e7 (counterattacking with the queen by 1 3 ...'iYb6!? could be an interesting alternative; Black plans to follow up with ...�b2) 14.f4 l::tg 8!. Now .. .f7-fS is coming, Sedlak-Delchev, Subotica 2003. 12. tllf3 1 2.�f4 c4!?.

,_.... WEAPON: 1 2.hS gS 1 3 .f4 1 1 .h4 White must do something. This is a di­ rect try against Black's king. Another, more recent attempt is l l .ti:Jf3 c4 1 2. . �e2 ti:Jc6 1 3.�f4 �e7 14.�f6 �xf6 1 S.exf6 Wd7 (1S ...ti:Jb8!? 16.ti:JeS ti:Jd7=) 1 6 .tlle s+ �xeS 1 7.dxeS c;t>c6 1 8.We3 <;tics = and soon a draw was agreed in Guseinov-Rodshtein, Moscow 2008. 1 1 ...lLic6 A standard move. For the alternative idea 1 1 ...'iYas I recommend a study of the next game, Leko-Morozevich.

analysis diagram

1 3 ... c4! 14 . .illfl (14.ii.e2? fS! 1 S .exf6 eS+) 14 .. .fS 1 S .exf6 eS 1 6 .Wie2 e4�. 1 2 ... c4!? 233

Pan Three

-

Classical System: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . tl:x:3 tlJf6

Kortchnoi's favourite option, closing the position as usual. 12 ...'ltas was still pos­ sible, see the next game. 1 3 . .i.e2 �d7 Or, for instance, 1 3 ...'lte?!? 14.l:i.hbl b6 1 S.a4 �d7 1 6.�f4 0-0-0= Castella­ Moskalenko, Ampolla rapid 2006. 1 4. 'iff4 If 14.�abl b6 1 S.'ltf4 'lte7 1 6.hS gs+ Nakamura-Laznicka, Oropesa del Mar jr 1 999. 1 4 ... 'ife7

.i ii

8

l:l:

I. • .i. '+i' i � i ii i8 i 8 Vi' 8 8 ttJ 8 �� 8 8

1 8 ... ti:Jg8! An important manoeuvre. 1 9.ti:Jg4 �f8!� Preparing .. .f7-fS . 20.ti:Jf6 20.f4 fS! 2 1 .exf6 gxf4=. 20 ... ltJx.f6 21 .exf6 e5! 22.dxeS? 22 . .llael was a little better: 22 .. Jles+. 22 ... lleB 23.llaf1 .:lhg8!?+ Black now has the better ending and the great endgame specialist Viktor Kortchnoi hauls in the point. 24.g4 .:Xe5 25.f4 .:le4 2S ...gxf4 26.!ixf4 <;i/c?+ was even better. 26 . .i.f3 .:Xf4 27 . .bd5 .i.xg4 28. .:Xf4 gxf4 29 . .i.xf7 .:ta 30 . .:tg1 .:Xf7 31 . :Xg4 .:Xf6

:

The critical position of this line. 1 5. 'iff6 A) 1 S.tlJh2 hS=; B) 1 S .g4 bS 1 6.a3 aS 1 7.'lte3 'it>f8 1 8 .tbe l 'it>g7 1 9.f4 b4� Su7338CapNemo,. playchess.com 2006. 1 5 ...0-0-0 r�l PLAN: The main characteristic of �� 8 ...g6 is that it retains the option of castling queenside. 1 S ...'ltxf6!? 16.exf6 0-0-0=. 1 6.hS g5 1 7. 'ifxe7 ttJx.e7 1 8. tlJh2

32 . .:lg6 .:lc6 33. 'ifi>e2 'iti>d7 34. .:lg7+ 'ifi>e6 35 . .:Xb7 .:as 36. 'ifi>f3 .:Xa2 37. 'iti>xf4 .:as 38.'ifi>e4 .:Xh5 39. .:Xa7 llh4+ 40. 'iti>e3 h5 41 . lla6+ @15 42.llaS+ 'iti>g4 43 . .:lcS .:lh3+ 44. 'iti>d4 .:lf3 45. 'ifi>xc4 .:lf4+ 46. 'iti>d3 h4 47 . .:ca h3 48 . .:tha 'iitg3 White resigned. Good technique is an important qual­ ity in the MacCutcheon Variation. This blockading line with ... cS-c4 is very safe; its evaluation has not changed for a century.

In the following line Black aims for a semi-open centre either without the possibility of castling, or preparing queenside castling. 234

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gS �b4

GAME 68 Peter Leko (2749) Alexander Morozevich (2741 ) Morelia/Linares 2007 (2)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 tllf6 4 . .igS .ib4 5.es h6 6 . .id2 .ixc3 7.bxc3 tlle4 8. 'ifg4 g6 Both players had some experience with the main alternative 8 ...Wf8. 9 .id3 A famous classic battle went: 9.tllf3 cS 1 0.dxcS . .

E E 4l .t 'if e i ii i ii 8i8 4l � 8 ttJ 8 8 il 8 8 8 \ti ll : : analysis diagram

Instead of the traditional flank attack, White gets ready to open up the cen­ tre. 1 O . tlld 7 l l . �d3 tllxd2 1 2.@xd2 tllxcS 1 3 . .!d.hel �d7 14.l:i.e3 'Mic7 and Marshall's army had the better of it in Lasker-Marshall, World Championship, 4th match game, United States 1 907. 9 ... tl\xd2 1 0 . ..ti>xd2 c5! .

.

Black would not be able to breathe with­ out this resource. 1 1 .h4

We have already seen this move in the previous games, but this advance may not be as effective now as in the event of 8 ...Wf8. Romain Edouard gives it a ' !?'. If 1 1 .dxcS tlld 7+ . l'fl"- WEAPON: The main alternative is 1 1 .tllf3 , but now Black plays l l ...�c7!? (instead of the standard l 1 ...tllc6 1 2 .dxcS!?: 'White releases the central tension, and will try to create play in the b-file, and consolidate a blockade with iVf4tlld4. He avoids any ...cxd4 ideas (when cxd4 would be forced, and Black could play something like ...�aS+/b6-�a6)' - Mekhitarian (CBM 142) 12 ...'iYas 1 3.'iff4 'iYxcS 14.tlld4oo Anand-Naka­ mura, Monaco rapid 201 1) with a very interesting idea: l 2.h4 cxd4 1 3.cxd4 tllc6 14.'iYf4

E .t i i i¥ 4l

i i8 8 'iY' 8 iL ttJ 8 \ti 8 8 :

analysis diagram

14 .. .fS ! . With this blockade White can­ not make progress on the kingside, Aseev-Dolmatov, Odessa ch-URS 1 989. 1 1 ... 'ifas Black opts for a semi-open game. As usual, Morozevich aims for as compli­ cated a fight as possible. Other possibilities, apart from closing the centre, are: l 1 ...tllc 6!? 1 2.'iYf4!? (con­ trolling f6 and h6 - for 12.hS gS 1 3 .f4 c4! see our weapon in the previous game; the manoeuvre 1 2 . !!h3?! is not very effective because of 12 ... cxd4 1 3.cxd4 23S

Part Three

-

Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 lill6

'ti'b6!?t Spassky-L.Grigorian, Moscow tt 1 967; or 1 2.tbf3 cxd4 1 3.cxd4 'ti'a5+ 14.'it>e2 b6 1 5 .'iVf4 .ia6 with counter­ play, Feygin-Gharamian, Belgium tt 2007/08) 1 2 ...cxd4!?.

s o 14. . .dxc3+ 1 5 .We2 cannot help him defending. If 14...Vi'xc3+ 1 5.We2 gxh5 16.ld.abl would be very dangerous for Black: White will go .l::!.x h5, ld.xh6, and tbg5-tbh7 in the event of ... .i::rfs. Still, maybe this is the line to be checked)

analysis diagram

With the strategic idea ... �a6 (mentioned in the above comments by Mekhitarian), to exchange the bishops. 1 3 .cxd4 'l:Wa5+ 14.c3 (14.We2 b6+:t) 14 ... b6 (14 ... b5!?) 1 5.'iVf6 (1 5.h5 gxh5!) 1 5 ... ngs 1 6 .t2Je2 �a6 1 7.�xa6 'ti'xa6 1 8.h5 .l:f.c8+:t and Black has a strong position, Rodriguez Cespedes-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2008. 1 2. tl:if3

analysis diagram

1 5.'l:Wf6oo Anand-Shirov, Bilbao 2010. 13 . .J:f.hb1 A logical reaction, preventing Black from taking the initiative on the queenside. The tempting 1 3 . �xg6!? could have been met by the cool-headed 1 3 ...tbb6!gg

analysis diagram

1 2 ... ttJd7N It would be interesting to know how Morozevich came to choose this move. 1 2 ...tbc6 is more natural: 1 3.'l:Wf4 cxd4 14.h5! (14.tbxd4 is the usual concept: 14 ...t2Jxd4 1 5 .'iYxd4 �d7 1 6 . .l::i.hbl 'ti'c7= Nyysti-Glek, Helsinki 2002) 14 ... g5 (Black has enough time to take on c3,

236

.. . when Black gains time for his development, whereas the small material disadvantage is of a temporary nature, Dudukovic-B.Maksimovic, Subotica 2008. 1 3 .cxd4 1 4. 'ifxd4 From a structural point of view the opening has been quite a success for Black. 1 4 ...a6 1 5 .J:f.b4 'f//c7 ..

.

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gs �b4 To improve the queen's position before playing ... b7-b6 and ...tl'ib7. 1 6.c4 White must open up the game. 1 6 ... as 1 7. .l:[b3 dxc4 1 8. 'ifxc4 lllcS 1 9 . .i:r.c3 b6 20. 'iff4 i.b7

As we have seen in many examples, a semi-open game is also acceptable for Black. In the next game, we will analyse White's attempt to keep his dark-squared bishop on the board.

GAME 69 Ruben Felgaer (2636) Viktor Moskalenko (2529) Barcelona 2005 (2)

Black has almost completed his development. But now he needs to bring his king into safety. 2 1 . ttJd4 'ifd8 22.f3 gS!? This resource was an idea of Maccutcheon himself. 23. 'ife3 gxh4 24.ll:ibS @18 25.ttJd6 i.dS 26 . .l:[b1 'ifgS 27. i.f1 'ifxe3+ 28.:Xe3 .l:[b8 29. i.c4 .l:[g8

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. lllc3 ll:if6 4. i.gS i.b4 s.es h6 6.i.d2 6 . �e3 is another popular move, which we will look at in Game 7 1 . 6 ... hc3 7.bxc3 t2Je4 8. 'ifg4 g6 9.i.e3 Alexander Finkel on ChessBase: 'I don't think White can fight for an opening advantage by wasting another tempo to keep the bishop on the board.' Just as in the event of 8 ... Wf8, let us look at White's alternative 9.�f4.

analysis diagram

Black's plan has been crowned with suc­ cess. White does not have any chance of an advantage. 30. .l:[e2 i.xc4 31 . tbxc4 h3 3 1 ...I:i.d8+!? 32.�c3 We?+. 32.gxh3 .l:[g3 33.@e3 ll:ia4 34. @f4 .l:[gS 35 . .l:[b3 @e7 36.h4 .l:[fS+ 37.�g3 .l:[g8+ 38.@f2 llf4 39.lbxb6 :Xh4 40.tbxa4 :Xa4 41 . .l:[b7+ 112-112

This move has the aim of recapturing on d2 with the queen in order to castle king­ side. 9 ... cS! 1 0.�d3 and now: 10 ...tl'ixd2 (also, 'iff4 can always be met by 10 ... gS!?, an interesting alternative 'Black Jet' plan, gaining space. Now, for instance: l l .'i:Ye3 tl'ixd2 12.'i'xd2 tl'ic6 13.�bS �as 14.a4 .2.d7 1 5.�xc6 �xc6 with equal chances, Demchenko-Skorchenko, Sochi 2005) l I .'i:fxd2 tl'ic6 1 2.tl'if3 c4!? (12 ...'li'aS is an equivalent alternative) 1 3 . �e2 �d7 14.0-0 (realizing the main 237

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tt:Jc3 lllf6 idea of °iVf4. The truth is that White has nothing here) 14...'i:Ve? (14.. .f5 ! ?).

1 0 ... hS!? The attack against White's queen begins. 10 ...'tiVaS?! is weaker on account of l 1 .tLle2 cxd4 12 . .2.xd4 tl:lc6 1 3 .0-0+ Olea Perez-Redondo Arguelles, Asturias 1999. tfl-- WEAPON: However, 10 ...tl:lxc3!? is interesting, and if 1 1 .dxcS 'i:VaS<=Z Black is OK.

•

analysis diagram

The position is balanced and it is hard to make progress right away: 1 5 .a4 0-0-0!? 16.a5 gS 1 7.a6?! b6+. The a6-pawn will be another weakness in the ending, Korneev-Moskalenko, Roquetas Mar 2006. Summary of the idea 'i:Vg4-f4xd2: After castling kingside, White cannot proceed with his attack on that flank, so at many points Black can improve his game (and also his king's position), whereas White cannot do the same. 9.. c5! If Black accepts the pawn with 9 ... tl:lxc3, White will gain good compensation after 10 . .td3 tl:lc6 (10 ... cS 1 1 .dxcS 'i:VaSoo) 1 1 .tLlf3 .2.d7 1 2 .°iVh3 (12 . .2.d2 tl:le4=) 12 ...�e? 1 3 . .2.gs �a3 14.0-0 (14 . .2.f6? tl:le4!+:) 14 ...tl:le4oo Sutovsky­ Nakamura, Turin Olympiad 2006. 1 0. i.d3

PUZZLE: As in the line 8 ...'it>f8 9. .te3 , White lacks his pawn on a3 in order to continue with �b4! (see Game 65). 1 1 . 'ii'f4N A) If 1 1 .°iVdl tl:lxc3 1 2.'iYd2 cxd4! 1 3 . .2.xd4 tl:le4 14 . .2.xe4 dxe4 with equal chances; B) Or, for instance, 1 1 .'iYf3 tl:lxc3 ! 1 2.dxcS tl:ld7!? and Black is doing fine. 1 1 ... gS!

.

238

A typical attack in Maccutcheon style! 1 2. 'ii'f3 tlJxc3 1 3. 'ii'g 3? A) If 1 3.tLle2 tl:lxe2 14..2.xe2 cxd4 1 S . .2.xd4 tl:lc6+; B) The best option was 1 3 .dxcS, when Black has a pleasant choice: 1 3 ...tl:lc6!? (or including the advance 1 3 ...d4!? with an unclear position; or else 1 3 ...tl:ld?!? 14 . .2.d4 'i:VaS<=Z) 14.°iVf6 'i:Vxf6 1 5 .exf6 eS! with excellent counterplay. 1 3... c4! 1 4. tbe2 If 14.-2.xgS °iVb6!, winning material More tenacious was 14 . .2.d2 tLlbS! 1 S . .2.e2 tl:lxd4, but Black is clearly better anyway.

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gS �b4 1 4... h4!

31 ... tllxg2 32.:e5 l:r.ga 33.@11 tllgf4 34. lb:f5+ g6 35.lb:c6 bxc6 36.l:r.e5 @16 37.Ac3 @17 38.d7 e7 39.:a5 xd7 40.lb:a7+ d6 41 .l:r.a4 l:r.f8 0-1 42.d4 �d5 43. e 1 e4

Conclusion: Apart from other disadvantages, 9.£.e3?! wastes an important tempo.

Summary of 8 g6: ...

Combining pawn thrusts, Black com­ mands the board. 1 5. 'Wg4 In the event of 1 5 .�xgS 'IWxgS 16.�xgS
White does not have enough compensa­ tion for his piece.

I j_ 11 •

• 8 :a:

I • ttJ 8 8

1�

1

888 :a: �

23. tllc7 Ad7 23 ... t!.b8!:+. 24. tllxa8 lb:a8 25.d5 tlle7 26.d6 tllg6 27.l:r.fe1 tllc5 28.l:ac1 tlle6 ! 28 ...
This may be a more adventurous option due to the possibility of queenside castling. In some variations (such as �e3 or ... 'li'aS) the play becomes quite forced. White moves such as 9.£.e3 are more effective against 8 ... Wf8, but in this line they can be a waste of time. In my opinion White should look for continuations where he can exploit the weakness of the f6-square.

� KEEP IN MIND:

In the MacCutcheon with 6.£.d2, 8.�g4, both 8 ... Wf8 and 8 ...g6 are perfectly playable for Black, although in the line with 8 ...Wf8 we can find more ideas for both sides. When the centre is closed, the game be­ comes quite strategic. Both sides have limited attacking resources and they have to engage in lengthy preparatory manoeuvres . White's position is very solid, but if he wants to win he should look for risky continuations which allow Black some counterplay. This line of the French Defence can be suitable for Black when he is facing a strong player and a draw is a satisfactory result. Some examples of players using the MacCutcheon are Kortchnoi and Morozevich. In the following games we will inves­ tigate several other MacCutcheon lines. 239

Part Three

-

Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 tl'if6

GAME 70 Konstantin Landa (2520) Alexander Morozevich (2625) Samara 1 998 (1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 tllf6 4.�g5 �b4 5.e5 h6 6.exf6 An old method. Or else 6.j)_h4 gS 7. .f)_g3 (7.exf6?! gxh4:f) 7 ... llle4 8 .llle 2.

analysis diagram

And now: 8 ...tlld 7!? (8 ... hS!? may be a good alternative: 9.f3 lllxg3 1 0.hxg3 j)_d7 l l .a3 j)_e7 12.'iYd2 cS+:t. The typical advance 8 ... cS is unclear here: 9.a3 �xc3+ 10.lllxc3 'iVaS 1 1 .dxcS lllxc3 1 2.'iVd2 'iYxcS 1 3.bxc3 lllc6oo Alekhine-Tackels, Brussels simul 1923. If 8 .. .fS?!, aiming for counterplay on the kingside, 9.f3! lllxg3 1 0.hxg3 cS I l .a3± Bartel-Piorun, Chorzow 201 3) 9.a3 lllxg3 1 0.hxg3 j)_e7 l l .b4 as 12.bs cS:f Karjakin-Volkov, Panormo Ech blitz 2002. 6 ... hxg5 7.fxg7 .J:lg8

240

8.h4 8 .'iVhS?! 'iVf6. 8... ttJc6!? A relatively new approach in a well­ known position. The text move simply promises Black a chance to start a tough struggle at this early stage of the game. However, the classical move 8 ... gxh4!? also offers Black very good counter­ chances: A) 9.'iVg4 'iVf6 is sufficient for Black. (9 ... j)_e7 is Alekhine's complicated move: 1 0 .lllf3 j)_f6oo) I O.l:ixh4 I:[xg7 1 1 .nhs+ Wd7�; B) 9.tllf3 tllc 6 (9 ... �f6 1 0.'iVd3 �d7 l l .a3 .Yi.e7 1 2 .tllbS llla 6+:t Zelcic-Socko, Dresden Ech 2007) 10.l:txh4 'iVf6 I I .'iVd2 j)_d7 1 2.0-0-0 o-o-o 1 3 .Wbl 'iYxg7+ Hodgson-Garbarino, Benidorm 1 9 9 1 ; C) 9.'iVhs 'iVf6 (9. . . .r:!.xg7 10.tllf3 tlld 7 I I . l:txh4 lllf6+:t Tartakower-Vidmar, Vienna 1 907) 1 0.�xh4 'MVxg7! l I .tllf3 lllc6 1 2.0-0-0 j)_d7 1 3 .lllbs �as 14.j)_d3 (14.c4 llle 7!?) 14 ... a6 I S .tllc 3 j)_b4 16 . .r:!.del j)_e7 1 7.'iVf4 0-0-0+ and Black won this comfortable position, Kan-Verlinsky, Odessa ch-URS 1 929. 9.h5!? This looks like a natural and aggressive move. In case of 9.lllf3 gxh4 I O . .r:!.xh4 'iVf6 l I .'iVd3 j)_d7 1 2.0-0-0 0-0-0 a com­ plicated position arises where Black's chances should be preferable. 9 ... :Xg7

Chapter 1 7 1 0.h6 A) The move 1 0 .'iVd3 !? is probably the best try for White: 10 ...'iVf6 l l .h6 l:!g8 with equal play, as in Kiltti-Lampen, Tampere 2000; B) 10.'iYd2 'iYf6 1 1 .0-0-0 �d7= Abadia Pascual-Torres Coll, Cala Mendia 200 1 ; C) 1 0 . .illb s 'iYf6 l LlLlf3 �d7 l 2.'iYd3 .illd 6!?, taking eS under control, with chances for both sides, Finegold-Kraai, Seattle ch-USA 2003. 1 0... .J:l.h7

1 1 .�d3 l l .°iVd3 fS 1 2.0-0-0 'iYf6 1 3 .g4 .illxc3 14.bxc3?! l:!xh6 1 5 . .l::r.xh6 'iYxh6 1 6.gxfS g4+! favours Black, l'Ami-Barsov, Wijk aan Zee 1 999. 1 1 ... .J:l.h8 1 2.'ii'h S 'it'f6 l 2 ...tLlxd4! also looks fine for Black. 1 3.llJf3 1 3.tlJe2 tlJxd4 14.0-0-0 lt:Jxe2+ 1 5.tlJxe2 �d7 and Black is better, Oms Fuentes-Rodriguez Fontecha, Oropesa del Mar jr 200 1 . 1 3 ... ll\xd4 1 4.ll\xgS If 14.tlJxd4 'iVxd4 1 5.�xgS .illd 7!? 1 6.0-0-0 �e7!�. 1 4... ll\f5 1 5.h7 A risky advance. Better was 1 5 . .illx fS!? �xfS 16 . .l:i.Moo. 1 5... hc3+ l 5 ... d4!? 1 6.0-0-0oo. 1 6.bxc3 'ihc3+ 1 7.@e2 'ii'e5+ 1 8. r.tid2 'ii'f4+ 1 9.@e2 t2Xl6!?

-

A Legendary Pin: 4 . .iilg S .ill b4

.I 8 •

True to his combative character, Morozevich decides to play on. 19 ...�eS + only repeats moves. 20. l:tae1 �d7 21 . �1 0-0-0 22. 'ii' h 6 Trying to prevent ... e6-e5. 22... �bS?! 22 ...�b4!?. 23. hbS ll\xb5 24. .J:l.h4 'it'fS 25. 'ii' g7 t2Xl6 26.g3 26.l:reS? 'iVxc2 27.lLlxf7 ttJfs+. 26 ... .J:l.de8

27.c3? The losing move. 27.l:re3 !?�. 27... 'iVd3+! 28.@g1 'ifd2 28 ...tlJfS!-+. 29. .J:l.eS 'ii' xc3 30 . .J:l.f4 'ifc2 31 . @g2 b5 32.a3 as 33 . .J:l.f6? b4 34.axb4 axb4 35 . .J:l.exe6 fxe6 36. lb:e6 :Xh7 37.lb:e8+ ll\xe8 38. 'ii'e5 t2Xl6 White resigned. The old Maccutcheon lines are con­ sidered by modern opening theory to lead to very comfortable positions for Black.

24 1

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . lllc 3 ttJf6 In two final games we will check White's (modern) attempt to keep his dark-squared bishop. We will use the knowledge of the main lines with 6.�d2, acquired in Games 65 and 69, to suggest the best options for Black. The following game, with the fashionable 6 . �e3, merely supports this theoretical evaluation. The sharp 6.�e3 is Rudolf Spielmann's move against the Maccutcheon. White wants to keep his bishop on the board and is ready to sacrifice the pawn on c3 in order to obtain good piece play and a dangerous initiative. The main differ­ ence with 6.�d2 is the presence on the board of 3+3 minor pieces (on the black and the white side), a detail that allows more tactical possibilities. However, this does not mean that Black has to defend.

GAME 71

Mert Erdogdu (251 3) Viktor Moskalenko (2538)

Ankara 201 0 (1)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 lllf6 4.i.gS i.b4 s.es h6 6.i.e3! ?

i � .t 'iV • ' ' '

' '

I

.t. � .t. .t. 8 .t 8 Cjj � 888 888 M 'iY � � CiJ M For the even more tricky 6.�cl see the next game. 6 ... llle4 7. 'iVg4 Black basically has three ways of answering the text move. After 7.CiJe2 c5! 8 .dxc5 (if 8.a3 cxd4! 9.�xd4 �a5 1 0.b4 CiJxc3!? l I .CiJxc3 �b6+%) 8 ...CiJc6 9.a3 �xc3+ I O.CiJxc3 CiJxc3 l l .bxc3 'ti'as l 2.°iVd2 CiJxeS 242

1 3 . �d4 f6 Black is OK, Eckersley Waites-Apderton, Sunningdale 2007. 7 g6! I recommend this defence. The game will soon acquire a more dynamic character and the possibility of castling queenside is an important resource. 7... gS?! from Reggio-Albin, Monte Carlo 1902, one of the first games with the move 6.�e3, is the option recommended by many authors. But it is dubious: 8.CiJe2 (8.a3!? �xc3+ 9.bxc3 cS 10.�d3 hS 1 1 .°iVdl ! ;;!; N; 8.h4 is also interesting, with the attractive idea of sacrificing the queen: 8 ... hS 9.hxgS!? hxg4 1 0 . .l:!.xh8+ �f8 1 I .CiJxe4 dxe4 1 2.CiJe2oo. ...

i. � .t � • .t M .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. • 8 8 8 .t. .t. • .i 8 8 8 Cjj 8 8 M �� analysis diagram

If Black gets to complete his queenside de­ velopment, he can win, but things are not so easy in practice) 8 ...hS (8 ... cS 9.0-0-0!?) 9.�f3 fS (9 ... cS 10.0-0-0!) 1 0.h4! .

.t. .t. 8 .t. .t. .t. .t 8 � 8 Cjj � � 8 8 8 CiJ 8 8 M �� M analysis diagram

By fixing Black's structure, achieves a clear advantage.

White 1 0 ... g4

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �gS �b4 l l .'iVf4;;!;; and Black has no serious counterplay, Aroshidze-Moskalenko, Banyoles 2007. ,,,.... WEAPON: Defending with the king by 7...�f8 ! ? is a solid option. A particular possibility here is the advance .. .f7-fS . 8.a3 ! ? is the most common move (8.tbe2!? cS�): 8 ... �xc3+ 9.bxc3.

• i ii i i i8 8 4l 'iY 8 � 888 8 � � tLJ � analysis diagram

The key position. Personally, I do not like accepting the pawn, but this became popular recently: A) 9 ... lt:Jxc3 10.�d3 tbc6 (Black can return to the main line with 9/ 1 0 ... cS) l 1 .lDf3 (if l 1 .lDh3 fS!? Areschenko­ Volkov, Gibraltar 2006 or l l .h4 tbe7!? 1 2.lDh3 ltJfS 1 3.lDf4 tbe4!� Amonatov­ Volkov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2009) l l ...lDa4!? 1 2.0-0 lDb2 1 3.�e2 lt:Jc4 the position is quite balanced, Naiditsch­ Volkov, Stockholm 201 1 ; B) 9 ... cS!? is the most active move, and an appropriate choice in this type of po­ sition. 10.�d3 and now 10 ... hS!? (Black begins the Maccutcheon counterattack. 1 O . .tbxc3 1 1 .dxcS tbc6oo has recently been experiencing a crisis) l l .'tWf4 (al­ ternative queen moves are: l l .'tWf3 'UiaS 1 2 .lDe2 cxd4 1 3 . �xd4 tbc6� De Vreugt-Porat, Hoogeveen 2004, or l l .°iVh3 tbxc3 1 2.dxcS d4! with chances for both sides. Fressinet-Vaisser, France tt 2001) 1 1 ...'tWaS (1 1 . ..gS!? would be more in MacCutcheon style: l 2.lWf3 tbxc3oo)

1 2 .tDe2 tbxc3 1 3 .0-0 tbxe2+ 14.�xe2 tbc6 (14 ...'iYc3 ! ? l S .dxcS tbc6=) 1 S .c4 cxd4 16.�xd4 tbxd4 1 7.'iVxd4 �d7 1 8.cxdS exdS 1 9.�f3 �c6 and Black maintains the balance, Kasparov­ Kortchnoi, Kopavogur 2000. 8.a3 Or, for instance, 8.tbe2 cS! 9.0-0-0!? tbxc3 10.tbxc3 �xc3 (10 ...tbc6!?) l l .bxc3 �as 1 2.�b2 tbc6� with scope for creative play. 8 ... .bc3+ 9.bxc3

i i 4l .t 'ir' • i iii i ii i8 8 4l 'if 8 8 � 8 888 � � � tLJ � 9 ...c5! Black declines any gifts and fights for the initiative, in the true spirit of the Mac­ cutcheon. Also popular is the capture of the pawn: 9... tt:Jxc3!? 10.�d3 tbc6 l l .h4 (an auto­ matic move; l 1 .lDf3 b6!?) l 1 ...lDe7 1 2 .hS gS 13.f3 (1 3 . �d2?! lt:Je4!; 1 3 .lDe2 lt:Jxe2 14.'tWxe2 tt:Jfs 1 S .g4 lt:Jxe3 1 6.fxe3 cs� Vuckovic-Nepomniachtchi, Plovdiv Ech 2008) 13 ... cS! 14.dxcS tbc6.

.

analysis diagram

243

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tllc3 tli6 Another interesting position. 1 5.f4 d4 (a solid central concept. Worthy of atten­ tion is 1 5 .. .fS ! ? 1 6.exf6 e5 1 7. .2.g6+ @f8 1 8."tWf3oo Zawadzki-Vysochin, Polanica Zdroj 2001) 16 . .2.d2 "tWdS ! 1 7.tLlf3 .2.d7 18.0-0 gxf4 Black has more active pos­ sibilities, Amonatov-Nepomniachtchi, Moscow 2008. 1 0 .id3 h5! The right method in the Maccutcheon is the 'Black Jet' counterattack with ... h7hS and ... g7-gS ! Before The Flexible French was published (2008), only three games had been played with this concept. Now it has become the main line! PUZZLE: If now 10 ...tt:Jxc3? 1 1 .dxcS!;!;; and the white queen on g4 controls the key squares d4 and M: 1 1 ...�aS? 1 2.°iVb4!. 1 1 . 'iff4 The main retreat: the white queen re­ mains on the fourth rank, controlling d4 and b4. Let's check three other squares for the queen: A) 1 1 .'ifh3 tLlxc3 12.dxcS d4! 1 3 . .2.d2 tLld7!+:t Aranovitch-Ricci, Milan 2010; B) 1 1 .'ifdl tLlxc3 12.'ifd2 cxd4 (12 ... tLle4 is similar) 1 3 . .2.xd4 tLle4 14 . .2.xe4 dxe4 1 S. tLle2 tLlc6 .

C) l l .'iff3 tLlxc3! 1 2.dxcS tLlc6 (12... d4 13 . .id2 tLld7 14.'iWf4 tl:JxcS 1 S.tLlf3oc Reinderman-l'Ami, Netherlands ct 2009/ 1 0) 1 3.'iff4 (1 3 . .2.d2 tl:JxeS!? 1 4.'1Wf4 tLlxd3+ 1 S.cxd3 d4 1 6.tLlf3 0-0!+:t) 1 3 ... d4 14.�d2 gS (14...tt:JdS!? 1 S .'1We4 'iYe7 1 6.tLlf3 �xcS= Kovac­ Hajek, Martin 2013) 1 5."tWxgS "tWxgS 1 6 . .2.xgS tLlxeS.

•

analysis diagram

Black has succeeded in demolishing White's pawn centre. 1 7. .2.f6 (the pseudo-active 1 7.tLlf3 ?! leads to some problems: 1 7... l:!.g8 1 8 . .2.f6 tLlxd3+ 1 9.cxd3 tt:Jds 20 . .2.xd4 l:!.xg2+ and White is weak on the light squares, Sutovsky-Wang Hao, Poikovsky 2008) 1 7...tLlxdH 1 8.cxd3 l::rg 8 1 9. .2.xd4 tt:Jds (19...tLla4!? 20.tLlf3 .2.d7� and Black has enough counterplay for the pawn) 20.g3 .2.d7 2 1 .tLlf3 �c6+:t Kosteniuk-Zhukova, Gibraltar 201 0. 1 1 gS! ...

analysis diagram

1 6.l:!.dl (16.0-0 b6 1 7.l:!.fdl .2.b7+:t was given in The Flexible French, 2008) 1 6 ...tt:Jxd4 (16 ...b6!?; 1 6 ... 0-0!?) 1 7.tLlxd4 .2.d7 1 8 .0-0 '1Wc7+ Erdogdu-Gofshtein, Ankara 2010; 244

A highly interesting position has arisen.

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. .tg5 .tb4 l l ...lL'ixc3? would be a big mistake: due to 12.dxc5±. 1 2. 'i&'f3D ltJxc3! Just in time. 1 3.dxcS If 1 3.lL'ie2 lL'ixe2 (13 ... ltJc6!?) 14 . .txe2 cxd4 1 5 . .txd4 lL'ic6=. 1 3 ...d4 A) 13 ... ltJc6!? 14.'li'g3? (14.'li'f6D) 14 ...'li'a5! (14 ... .l:i.g8? 1 5.ltJf3i Oparaugo­ Repplinger, Germany 2009) 1 5 . .td2 (1 5 .Wfl .l:i.g8) 1 5 ...�xc5 1 6 .'i!Vxg5 ltJe4! 1 7.�xe4 Heimann-Potsch, playchess. com 2009, and now: TRICK: l 7...'li'd4!:+ Moskalenko;

t('

B) 1 3 ...lt:Jd7!? 14.'i!Vg3 (14.�d4 'i!Va5 1 5 .Wfl ltJb5) 14 ... .l:i.g8 1 5 .h4 g4 1 6 .lL'if3oo with a complicated position. Vogler­ Hess, Germany Bundesliga B 1 994/95. 1 4.�d2 ttJc6 Threatening ....lL'ixe5. 14 ... �d7!? is an in­ teresting tactical idea: 1 5 .�g3 (15 . .txc3 .tc6! 16.�e4 dxc3 1 7. .l:i.dl 'i!Vc7 1 8 . .txc6+ lL'ixc6 1 9. .l:i.d6 lL'ixe5 20.'i!Vf6 lL'ig6+:t) 1 5 ... .tc6oo Hutois-Peynichon, Aix les Bains 2009. Or 14 ...g4!?. 1 5. 'ii'f6 'ii'xf6 1 6.exf6

B) 1 6 ... ltJe5!? is probably enough for a draw: 1 7.lL'ie2 lL'ixd3+ 1 8.cxd3 lL'ixe2 1 9.Wxe2 g4=. 1 7. .bgS ttJxcS 1 7... e5!?. 1 8.ti:if3! A) I 8 .lL'ie2?! lL'ixd3+ l 9.cxd3 b6 20.Wd2 .tb7 2 1 . .l:i.acl .l:i.d8 22.ltJf4?! h4 (22 ... e5 23 . .l:i.hel Wd7=F) 23 . .l:i.hel (Goh Wei Ming-Smerdon, Dresden Olympiad 2008) 23 ...Wd7=F; B) l 8.f4?! e5!? l 9.fxe5 (D.WellsGroffen, Liverpool 2008) 19 ...lt:Jxe5!i. 1 8 ... ttJxd3+ 1 9.cxd3 b6!

8 :s

ltJ

888 :s �

Now Black has good counterplay, thanks to his better centre. PLAN: The set-up for his pieces �� will be ... .tb7-.l:i.d8-.l:i.d5-�d7 etc. 20. .J:.c1 �b7 21 .
f�l

A critical moment after the opening. 1 6 ... ltJa4! Attacking the c5-pawn - the best idea. A) After the inaccurate 16 ... g4 White is slightly better: 1 7.�xc3 dxc3 1 8.ltJe2;;!; Yakovenko-Vitiugov, Moscow ch-city 2007; 245

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . 0.d Following the mentioned plan. 22.l:l.c4 l:l.d5 23.J:lhc1 '.td7 24.h4 24.gf4 l:tc8!+%. 24... l:l.cB+t 25.l:l.4c2 2S.ii.d27 ii.a6 26.J;I4c2 eS! 27.tl:iei e4+ Erdogdu-Kindermann, Novi Sad Ech-tt 2009. 25 ... e5! 26.tal2 .ta6 26 .. JhS!?; 26 ...8d8!? 27.l:txc8 gxc8+. 27.tlJe4 l:lb5!+

i.

i • i .t i � 8 i �i i. i tlJ 8 8 g �8 8 g

tLif6

Conclusion: The modern lines 6.ii.e3 and 6.�cl (next game) may be the future of the Mac­ cutcheon Variation. The possibilities are very rich and there are many resources for both sides. The option 9/10 ... cS is al­ ways more active than 9/1 0 ...8xc3, but the latter leads to more complicated play.

The tricky dynamic retreat 6 . �c l 'Highly underrated, I think... this has gone from being an eccentric move to a well-analysed variation' - John Watson on Chesspublishing.

GAME 72 Lazaro Bruzon Batista (2668) Nigel Short (2685) Havana 2010 (5)

1 .e4 es 2.d4 d5 3.ltJc3 tiJf6 4 . .tgs .tb4 5.e5 h6 6 . .ic1 !?

Black's position is strategically winning: ga6 (the active French bishop) is an ex­ tra piece in comparison with the passive �gs. 28. J:ld1 l:l.b3 29 . .tc1 J:lgB 30.g3 tale 31 .l:lb2 l:lxb2+ 32.hb2 tLies+ 33. d2 ltJc5! 34. ttJxcS+ bxc5 35.a4 J:lg6!

i j_

• i

8 �

i 8 � g

i

i 8� 8

* i 8

8

36.l:l.c1 J:lxf6 37.e1 J:lc6 38. h3 '.td6 39.@d2 f5 40.f3
246

PUZZLE: Let's compare some trans­ positions from the main lines (8 ...�f8 and 8 ... g6): 6.gd2 �xc3 7.bxc3 8e4 8.�g4 and now: 8 ... g6 (8 ...�f8 9.�cl cS!? (9...8xc3 10.i.d3 8c6 1 1 .h4 fs n.�f4oo Faizulaev-Volkov, Tashkent 2009) 10.�d3 8xc3 1 1 .dxcS �as 1 2.�d2 �xcS 13.tl:ieI 8e4 14.i.xe4 dxe4 15.�xe4 8c6 16.i.c3 b6! 1 7.0-0 i.a6+%, a brilliant Maccutcheon performance by one of the clas­ sics, Yates-Tarrasch, Hastings 1922) 9.ii.cl.

Chapter 1 7 - A Legendary Pin: 4. �g5 �b4

I � .i. if * .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. • .t. 8 8� � 8 8 8 1:: �

•

analysis diagram

'As in the 1 9 8 1 game by the great ex-World Champion, Tal­ Vooremaa, even here Black's position should be around OK' - Mekhitarian (CBM 142): 9... c5 (9...tt::lxc3 10.�d3 c5 transposes) 1 0 . �d3 tt::lxc3 1 1 .dxc5 and now 1 1 ...'ifc7!?, attacking c5 and e5 simultaneously (1 1 ...'ifa5 12.jld2 'iVxc5 is quite balanced, especially after the sacrifice 1 3 .�xg6 fxg6 14.'ifxg6+ @f8=) 12.tt::lf3 tt::ld 7 1 3.0-0 tt::lx c5 14.'iVh4 b6!oo. The opening is over and there is space for quite creative play, Vasiukov­ Chistiakov, Moscow 1 955.

6 . ll'ie4 ,.,.,,,.. WEAPON: 6 ... tt:Jfd7!?, with the strategic idea of applying the 'Barricades style' in the Classical system: 7.'ifg4 jif8! ..

analysis diagram

8.f4 c5 9.tt::lf3 tt::lc 6 10.�e3 (or 10.tt::lb 5 g6 1 1 .�d3 cxd4 1 2.0-0 tt::lc S=F Pogrebissky­ Chistiakov, Tbilisi 1 949) 1 O ... hS 1 1 .'iVg3 tt::le 7 1 2 .tt::lh4 cxd4 1 3 .tt::lb 5 tt::lc 6 14.tt::lxd4 tt::lc S 1 5 .tt::lxc6 bxc6 1 6 . .2.xcS �xcS 1 7.'iYxg7 l:tf8-+ and suddenly Black's position is much better, Warakomski­ Volkov, Ortisei 201 3 . 7.'it'g4

I I � .i. if * .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. • .t. 8 .i. 8 � 'if Qj 888 1:: � 7 ... @18 John Watson: ' I tend to favour lines with ... g6 over ... Wf8, but in this case the lack of weaknesses and proximity to the kingside make the latter move more attractive.' A) 7... g6 and now: Al) 8.a3, in order to exchange the Winawer bishop and avoid dynamic play as in the other lines: 8 ... �xc3+ (8 ... �aS?! 9.tt::le 2±) 9.bxc3 cS 10.�d3! cxd4! l 1 .tt::lf3 (1 1 .tl:ie2 'ifaSoo) 1 1 ... dxc3!? (1 1 ...hS 1 2.'tWf4 gSoo is suggest­ ed by Watson) 1 2 . �xe4 dxe4 1 3.�xe4 with interesting play, approximately balanced; for example, 1 3 ... �d7!?; A2) 8 .tt::le 2!? cS! 9.a3 �xc3+ (9 ... �aS allows 10.dxcS!±) 1 0 .tt::lxc3 (1 0.bxc3!? cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 'ifas+ (1 1 ...tt::lc 6?! 1 2 .c3 'iVas 1 3.�e3! tt::le 7 14.'iih 3 f6!? 1 5.f3t) l 2.c3 �d7 13.f3 �bS 14.fxe4 �xe2 1 5.�xe2 �xc3+ 16.@f2 �xal 1 7.ex­ dSgg) 10 ...tt::lxc3 1 1 .bxc3 'iVaS 1 2 . �d2 �a4.

Here we have another puzzle. 247

Part Three - Classical System: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . lt:lc3 tLlf6

.i � .i. • ... ... ... ... ... ... . ... ... 8 8 8 8 ii 8 8 8 � � .:

*

analysis diagram

PUZZLE: Watson: 'This is a good solution. The position strong­ ly resembles the Portisch-Hook Variation in the Winawer' (see Part Four). l3.�f4 (1 3 .c4 tLlc6 14.dxcS �xc2= Zolnierowicz-Vaisser, Nimes 1 991) l 3 ...'1Wxc2 14.dxcS tLlc6 l S. gbs '1We4+!? 1 6.�xe4 dxe4 1 7.0-0-0 gd7= Perunovic­ Markoja, Bad Gleichenberg 2014. B) 7 ... gS is an unclear (and in my opinion, risky) alternative here: 8 .tLle2 (8.a3 �xc3+ 9.bxc3 cS 1 0 . gd3 hSoo) 8 ... cS 9.a3 gas 1 0.b4 (10.dxcS �c7 1 1 .b4 tLlxc3 1 2.tLlxc3 'tWxeS+ l 3.@d2 gc7oo Andriasyan-Stopa, Benasque 201 1) 10 ...tLlxc3 1 1 .tLlxc3 cxd4 1 2.tLlbS gc7 l 3 .f4 tLlc6 14.ge2 �b8 l S .�hS a6 1 6.tLld6+ gxd6 1 7.exd6oo Lahno-Stopa, Saint Louis 201 1 . 8.tbe2 Alternatively, 8.a3

analysis diagram

248

8 ... gxc3+! (8 ... gaS?! 9.tLle2 tLlxc3 1 0.tLlxc3 cS 1 1 .dxcS �xc3+ 1 2.bxc3f Nataf-M.Fischer, Evry 2008) 9.bxc3 tLlxc3 is unclear, Mamoori-Golafroozi. Iran 1996 . B ... c5! 8 ... t2:ixc3 9.bxc3 gas 1 0.h4 (10.ga3+ @g8 1 1 .h4 Popov-Vallejo Pons. Moscow 2012) 1 0 ... cS l l . ga3 tlld / 1 2.0-0-0!? @g8 (12 ... bS?! 1 3 .tllf4! t SaricBatchuluun, Troms0 ol 2014) 1 3 . l:.h3oo. 9.a3 According to Watson this 'can be met by various moves.' 9... .i.a5 This rather resembles the 'Armenian' set-up in the Winawer. 9... �aS? allows a � TRICK: 11 standard sacrifice: 1 0.axb4!± etc., Short-Erikson, Luanda 20 1 1 .

-

PUZZLE: 9... .ixc3+ 10.tllxc3 (10. bxc3 cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 tLlc6 1 2 .c3 �as 1 3 . ge3 tlle 7 with a solid game) 1 0 ... tt:Jxc3 1 1 .bxc3 �as 1 2 . £ld2 �a4+:t is a nice version of the Winawer - the Portisch-Hook Variation. 1 0.dxcS!

The critical moment, but not many games have been played with this move. 1 0.b4?! tllxc3 1 1 .tllxc3 cxb4:f. 1 0 . .. ttJd7? ! A slow plan (10 ...tLlc6 is similar). More dynamic options are:

Chapter 1 7

tfl"'- WEAPON: 1 0 ...�c7!? l l .�f4 t2Jxc3 1 2.tLlxc3 �xc3+ 1 3.bxc3 b6!@g.

tfl"'- WEAPON: 10 ... hS!? l 1 .�h3 d4 12.b4 dxc3

- � .t � j. j. .t 8

8

:

• I j. j.

8

j. 8 �

j. 8 �

'iY CiJ 8 8 8 �� :

• .1.

I .t j. j. .t 8'

Cjj �8 8

8 :

j. � j.

• I j. .t. j.

888 � � :M

A Legendary Pin: 4. �gs �b4

1 6 ...e3!? 16 ...fs 1 7.tLlbs �b8 1 8.tLld6 �xd6 l 9.cxd6;;!; looks good for White. 1 7.fxe3?! Too sluggish. After energetic moves like 1 7.0-0-0! a6 and 1 8.tLle4t White should be better. 1 7... tllg 4 1 8. 1;..e2? 1 8.tbbs �g3+ 1 9.We2. 1 8 ... 1;..g 3+ 1 9.Wd2 tllf2 20.l:l.hg1 rl.x:h2

analysis diagram

1 3 .�e3 (13 .bxaS? �d2+!) 13 ...tLld2!? 14.�xc3 tbxfl 1 5.bxaS �d7 16.llxfl �bS with good light-square control. 1 1 .b4! tlJxeS 1 2. 'irhS 1;,.c7 1 3. t2Jxe4 dxe4 1 4. 1;..b2 'it'gS! ? Trading is almost forced: 14...tbg6?! 1 5.tLlc3 (1 5.�g4±) 1 5 ... �eS 16 . .i:::f.d lt Libiszewski-Volkov, Aix-les-Bains Ech 201 1 . 1 S. 'ifxgS hxgS 1 6. lDc3

-

8 8 :

8

• j. j. .1. • • j.

Cjj 8 .t � 8 ��� 8 I :

Finally, Black is more than OK. 21 . .:a11 fS 22. 'iti>c1 'iti>e7 23.bS g4 24. 1;,.c4 1;..h 4 2S.@b1 g3 26.a4 1;,.f6 27.1;..e2 gs 28.'it>a2 g4 29. @b3 1;..d7 30. 1;..a 3 @17 31 .aS 1;..eS 32 . .tb4 l:k8 33. 1;..c4 'iti>f6 34.l:l.e1 hc3 3S.Axc3+ es 36.l:l.d1 t2Jxd1 37.rl.x:d1 1;..xbS 38. AxbS rl.x:cS 39 . .tf1 l:l.h1 40. Ae2 l:l.xd1 4 1 . hd1 'i!r>gS 42. 1;..e2 f4 43.a6 bxa6 44. Ab4 l:lc7 4S.exf4+ exf4 46.c4 f3 47. Af1 'iti>fS 48.cS as 49 . .b3 'iti>e4 And White resigned.

Conclusion: The theory of this curious but dynamic retreat 6.�cl is not well developed yet. However, in actual practice it makes it difficult for Black to choose between standard options (see the old 6.�d2 or the modern 6.�e3) and concrete antidote ideas. This model game can serve as a starting menu. - 6 ...tt:Jfd7!? is an interesting deviation in the direction of the Classical French. - 7...'iit>f8 and 7...g6 are true MacCutcheon dishes, but here Black needs to cook up a new filling! 249

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 . d4 d5 3 . tl:lc3 tLlf6

Chapter 18

-

Russian Roulette

History - The SteinitzVariation (Cl I ) Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion, already employed an 'open method' against the French more than 1 0 0 years ago. Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tllc3 lLif6 4.eS lLifd7 S.ltJf3 cs 6.dxcS tllc6 7.i.f4 hes 8.i.d3 f6 9.exf6 ltJxf6 1 0. 'iYe2!? 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0!

In this chapter we will investigate a sharp idea for White in the Classical, Steinitz Variation, which usually arises on the board by transposition from the Two Knights Variation: 2.lLif3 dS 3 .lLic3 tLlf6 4.eS lLifd7 S.d4 cS, etc. The first player surrenders his pawn centre in order to develop quickly and smoothly. Introduction: Zakharov's idea Not long ago a young Russian player, Alexander Zakharov, devised an interesting idea in this complex variation. This new idea regained life in The Flexible French (2008). The entire set-up offered in that book soon become very popular in practice, and useful for players looking for a real fight. In the old days, great masters such as Steinitz, Nimzowitsch, Tarrasch, and later Keres and others, discovered a powerful but practically forgotten way of fighting with white against the French Defence: by sacrificing or, in our case, simply exchanging his central pawns. What concepts lie behind this idea?

250

Chapter 1 8

-

Russian Roulette: 4.e5 tt:Jfd7 5 . tt:Jf3 c5 6.dxc5

I - By vacating the d4- and e5-squares, White secures control over them, gaining the possibility of establishing his minor pieces or queen on those squares. 2 - The two half-open files allow White to quickly activate his rooks. 3 - Black has many weaknesses in his pawn structure. 4 - The above-mentioned factors, in addition to his space advantage, allow White to start an attack quickly in the centre and/or on the kingside. 5 - The play becomes much more dynamic than in other variations of the French with a closed or semi-open centre. 6 Also, the line which we analyse in this part is sharper, due to the fact that the kings castle on opposite sides ('Russian Roulette'). 7 - The middlegame starts early, and lengthy theoretical variations are avoided! -

Directions and Plans After 1 1 .0-0-0 Black has several plans to choose from: A) 1 1 ... �d7 Nowadays this natural move is the most popular response for Black, preparing the development of his major pieces. From the stem game of this variation, Game 7 3 (Zakharov-Potkin, also a model game) , we can understand Zakharov's main idea. This is a very aggressive plan, but also a risky one, beginning with 12.tLleS!? and preparing the sharp g-pawn thrust g2-g4-g5. Black, for his part, can choose from several interesting defences. We will find other possibilities for White in the line with I I . . . �d7 in Game 7 4: Nepomniachtchi-Volkov.

Here we will analyse more solid plans: • 12.'lt>bl !?, a normal move in this kind of position; • 12 .!::f.hel , with pressure against the centre, and • 12.h4!?, another possible attack on the kingside. .

B) 1 1 .. 'ilias and 1 1 ...tlJhS? The move 1 1 ...�aS!? is a direct counter-action on the queenside. 1 1 . ..tLlhS? looks dubious, since it allows the brutal blow 1 2 . �xh7+!. .

25 1

Part Three

-

Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . ti:Jc3 ttJf6

Both moves are analysed in Game 75: Kosteniuk-Giddins. C) 1 1 ...a6 The analysis of the other popular response 1 1 . .. a6 demonstrates a typical plan for Black in the French Defence, preparing a set-up with �d6/'ltc7 and fighting for control of the eS-square. After 12.tt:::le S �d6 13.�gl 'li'c7! the knight can no longer stay on eS.

(Game 76: Alvarez Pedraza-Moskalenko) Other possibilities for both sides after I l ...a6 (12.h4, 1 2 . .l:thel and 1 2 .�bl) can be found in the notes to Game 7 7: Esplana-Schneider. D) Novelties: 1 1 ...tt:::lb4, 1 1 ... �d6, 1 1 . ..'lte7 Game 78, Slovineanu-Warner, concludes our study of the Zakharov Variation. It provides an update with several novelties for Black on move 1 1 . More recently we have seen l t. ..tt:::lb4!?, a fresh manoeuvre, with the idea of exchanging tt:::lxd3. The move 1 1 . .. �d6 looks slightly hasty, while 1 1 ...'lte7 prepares central action. Strategy and Tactics! After 1 1 .0-0-0 the positions that arise are very flexible, so during the opening both players can change their strategic plans, play waiting moves or enter very specific tactical lines.

252

Chapter 1 8

Russian Roulette - Games

The main ideas of a new system are usually investigated and developed by young players.

GAME 73 Alexander Zakharov (2330) Vladimir Potkin (231 0) Moscow 1 997

1 .e4 e6 2.ll:if3 Also possible is 2.tllc 3, for Closed Sicilian adepts. 2 ...dS Black can still transpose into a Sicilian with 2 ... cS. 3.lDc:3

-

Russian Roulette: 4.e5 tt:Jfd7 5. tt:Jf3 c5 6.dxc5

6.cxd4 (6.eS tllfd7 7.cxd4 cxd4 8.tllexd4 tllxeS 9.flbs+ tlle c6= etc.) 6 ... cxd4 7.tllexd4 tllxe4 8 .tllxe6 �xe6 9.�a4+ tllc 6 I O.'iVxe4 �cs 1 1 .�c4 0-0 1 2.0-0 i::f.e 8 1 3 .d3 h6= Myagmarsuren­ Adamski, Polanica Zdroj 1 972. 4.e5 ll:ifd7 If 4 ...tlle 4 S.tlle 2!?. 5.d4 cs 6.dxcS 6.�gS transposes to a famous trap in the Steinitz Variation: 6 ...'iVb6 7.dxcS �xcS 8 .'iVd2.

• 3 ... ll:if6 The advance 3 ... d4 is another option with which Black can aim for an Indian structure, for example: 4.tlle 2 cS S .c3 (5.b4 tllc6) S ... tllf6! (S ... tllc 6?! 6.cxd4 cxd4 7.'iVa4!; S ...dxc3 6.bxc3 tllf6 7.tllg 3 fle7 8 .d4oo Ljubojevic-Garcia Martinez, Palma de Mallorca 1971)

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

TRICK: And now 8 ... ..txf2+? (8 ...tllc 6!+ is the correct answer) 9.'iVxf2 �xb2 10.�d2 'iYxal 1 1 . �bS 'ifxhl 1 2 .�cS 'iVxg2+ 1 3 .�cl 'ifxgS+ 14.tllxgS tllc 6 1 S.�xc6 bxc6 1 6.'ifxc6 .l:Ib8 1 7.tllx dS ! exdS 1 8 .e6t etc. 6 ... lDc:6 7. �f4

7... .b:cs The most popular continuation. Black develops his bishop and prepares .. .f7-f6.

2S3

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . lt.Jc3 tbf6 The main alternative is 7... tt::lxc5 and now, for instance: 8.h4 a6 (8 ... �e7 9.h5oo Nepomniachtchi-Ding Liren, St Petersburg rapid 2012) 9.a3 bS 1 0.hS h6 l 1 ..ld.h3oo Nepomniachtchi-Ding Liren, Sochi 2009. 8.i.d3 f6! ? Theoretically the best recipe. � TRICK: 8 ...'iVb6?! 9.0-0 'f6xb2? • lO.tbb5t 0-0 l l .Axh7+!�.

� TRICK: 8 ... 0-0? would be a fatal W mistake because of 9.�xh7+!

�xh7 1 0 .tt::lg s+ �g6 (10 ... �g8 1 1 .'iYh5) l 1 .'iYd3+ f5 1 2 .'iYg3� with an obvious 4-0 score. 9.exfG
analysis diagram

(Drozdov-Morozevich, Krasnodar 1 997) 254

This move is useful here: preparing ...tt::lh S, and limiting the white bishop on d3. But of course, it is not the only option. 1 0... 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0!? The key: queenside castling is a common idea in the Sicilian, but it is completely new in this variation of the French, al­ though the plans in the positions that now arise are quite similar. This is the critical position of the variation, and Black must quickly take some serious decisions. 1 1 ... �d7 This looks like the logical response. However, Black also has other options, which will be studied in Games 75-78. 1 2. tlJeS!?

Perhaps slightly premature, but still very energetic. The idea is to follow up with g2-g4-g5. Other important possibilities are 1 2 .�bl , 12.nhel , and l 2.h4. We will analyse them in Game 74. 1 2 ... bloo) 14 ...tt::lh S! 1 5 .gxh5 !'.!.xf4 with a great advantage for Black, Bachin-Chuprikov, Sochi tt 2005;

Chapter 1 8 C) 12 ... tlld4 1 3.'M!Yd2 ncB? 14.�e3!

analysis diagram

14 ... �e8? 1 5 . �xd4 �xd4 16.�xh7+! tllx h7 1 7.�xd4± Rendle-Curien, Davos 2005; D) 12 ... �d6 1 3 .tllg 6 (;:.>: 1 3 .Wbl !?) 1 3 ... �xf4+ 14.tllxf4 �a5+% 1 5.a3 a6 1 6.h4 b5 1 7.g4 b4! 18.axb4 �xb4 19.tllh 5 tllx h5 20.gxh5 .l:lab8--+ Sengupta­ Rodshtein, Yerevan Wch-jr 2006. 1 3 . ..ixeS bS!? 1 3 ...�b6 has also been played: 14. .l:lhfl a6 1 5 .g4 �b5?! 16.tllxb5 axb5 1 7.g5! tlld 7 1 8 .�h5--+ and White won quickly in Guseinov-Rojas, Calvia Olympiad 2004. 1 4.g4!? Who will get there first?! An instructive attacking game ensues, with castling on opposite sides of the board. A quite trivial possibility that should be studied is 14.tllxb5.

.i i

� .t

.i * ii i� i .l i k

1 4... b4 The time for direct contact has arrived. 1 S.gS

-

Russian Roulette: 4.e5 tbfd7 S . tbf3 cS 6.dxcS

1 5 .tllb 5 �xb5 16.�xb5 tlle 4+%. 1 S ... bxc3 1 6.gxfG g6? l 6 ... cxb2+ was obligatory, for example: 1 7.Wbl ! .l::i.xf6! with a very complicated position. 1 7 . ...g4 Continuing the attack without hesita­ tion. If l 7.�xc3 d4+%, but l 7.h4! was a strong possibility. White threatens h4h5 with a dangerous initiative. 1 7... lb:fGD 1 7... cxb2+ 1 8 .�bl±. 18 . ..ixc3 d4 19 . ..ixd4! es 20. ..ic4+ �g7 21 .hcS! hg4 22.lb:d8 lb:d8 23. .te7 l:f4?! 23 ... .l::!.d4! was a better resource, for example 24.�xf6+ Wxf6 25.b3 l:tf4 with counterchances. 24. ..ixd8 :Xc4;t

White has every chance of winning this ending. 2S . ..igS .ifs 26.c3 aG 27. l:e1 l:g4 28.h4 h6 29. ..id8 l:g2 30. .tbG �f6 31 .c4 @e6 32 . ..id4 @d6 33.heS+ @cs 34 . ..ig3 'iti>xc4 3S. �d2 @d4 36.b3 ..ie4 37.l:c1 gS 38.hxgS hxgS 39. �e2+- g4 40. �1 ..if3 41 . .llc7 �d3 42.b4 'iPd2 43.a4 @d1 1 ·0 44. .:r.d7+ This was an important battle, where a new aggressive weapon against the Clas­ sical French was born. White plays in 'Russian Roulette' style. The key moves of Zakharov's plan are 1 1 .0-0-0, 1 2 .tlle 5, 14.g4 and 1 5 .g5. 255

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . t2Jc3 tlJf6 In the next game, a strong Russian ex-

pert on the French, grandmaster Sergey Volkov, is beaten by another young pio­ neer of the Zakharov Variation.

A

GAME 74 Ian Nepomniachtchi (2520) Sergey Volkov (2628) Tomsk 2006 ( 1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.tllf3 d5 3. tllc3 tllf6 4.e5 tllfd7 5.d4 c5 6.dxc5 tllc6 7. .tf4 .txc5 e . .td3 f6 9.exf6 tllxf6 1 0. 'ii'e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0 .td7

1 2. �b1 A prophylactic move which is very com­ mon in the Sicilian Defence. Other important options (besides 12.tlJe5 from Game 73) are: A) 12.l:ihel !?. A solid move; White is well prepared for central action. 12. .. a6 (12 ... .tb+ is an interesting move: 13.tlJe5oo Nepomniachtchi-Zorko, Herceg Novi jr 2005) 1 3 .lLie5! tlJxe5 14.�xe5 b5 and here White pursued a path similar to Zakharov's main plan: 1 5.g4oo Zakharov-Dolmatov, Novgorod 1 997; B) 1 2.M!?. Strategically, I like this advance, as it does not weaken the white position and prepares action on the kingside. In two games Black now tried out different queen moves: 1 2 ... a6!? (12 ...�b6 1 3.tlJa4;!; Van de Oudeweetering-Holzke, Amsterdam 2006) 1 3 .h5 b5 14.lLie5 tlJxe5 1 5 . .txe5 b4 1 6.tlJbl �b6 1 7.h6!.

256

analysis diagram

White's threats look much more serious than Black's: 1 7... g6 1 8 . .ixg6! hxg6 1 9.h7+ �h8 20.�f3� with an almost decisive advantage for White, Sambuev­ Potkin, St Petersburg 200 1 . 1 2. . JkS!? Other typical examples are: A) 12 ... a6 1 3 .tlJe5 t2Jxe5 14.�xe5 b5 1 5 .g4

analysis diagram

1 5 ...�e8 (a quite modern game saw 1 5 ... .te8 1 6.g5 .th5 1 7.f3 tlJd7 1 8 . �xg7! �xg7? 1 9.�xe6 lLif6 20.tt:Jxd5 �xf3 2 1 .gxf6+ 1 -0 Danin-Kniest, Werther 2014) 1 6 .g5! tlJh5 (Garcia Cervera­ Martinez Ahrens, Valencia 2009) l 7.g6! hxg6 1 8.�g4±; B) 1 2 ...�e7 1 3 .tLleS!? t2Jxe5 (1 3 ... .l:f.ae8 14 . .l::!.hel !?) 14 . .ixe5 b5 1 5.f4 a6 1 6.�f3 b4 1 7.lLie2 .ib5 1 8.t2Jd4 tlJd7 Grabarczyk-Babula, Opole ch-POL 2007, l 9.�xg7!?t. 1 3. tlle5

Chapter 1 8

-

Russian Roulette: 4.e5 8fd7 5 . tlJf3 c5 6.dxc5 42 ... hS 43. l:tf4 l:[gB 44.l:[h2 l:[xf4 4S. tbxf4 h4 46.gxh4 l:[g4 47. .:lf2 .b:h4 48.l:[f3 'iti>e7 49. Wc3 �e1 + SO.'iti>b3 �as S1 .tt:Jd3 l:[h4 S2.l:tg3 'iti>f7 S3. tt:Jb4 cs S4. tt:Jd3 �b6 SS.a3 l:[e4 S6.l:[f3+ 'iti>g7 S7. 'iti>c3 �as+ S8.b4 cxb4+ S9.axb4 �c7 60.cS l:[g4 61 .l:[f2 �b8 62.c6 l:th4 63.'iti>b3 l:te4 64.l:ta2 l:td4 6S.t0CS 'iti>f7 66.c7 1 -0

Of course, this is not the only possible move. 1 3 ... �eB 13 ... a6!?oo Lastin-Volkov, Tomsk tt 200 1 . 1 4. tbxc6 :Xc6 1 S. ltJa4 �e7 1 6.�bS tbe4 1 7.f3 :Xf4 1 8.fxe4 The fight is very sharp right to the end. At the key moments, the pressure caused Volkov to stray from the correct path. 1 8 ... lld6 18 ... .ig6!? 19 . .ixc6 �xe4g? with a good position for Black. 1 9. �xeB 'iVxeB 20.t0C3 d4 21 .g3 l:[fB 22.eSD l:td8 23. tbe4 'ifc6 24.llhe1 lldS 2S.tt:Jf2 :as 26. tlld3 'iVa4 27. lOC1 D l:tfS 28.'iVe4 l:[dS 29.tt:Jb3 l:[f2 30. 'iVg4!t

3 0... 'iVd7 31 .h4 d 3 32.c4 'iVc6 33. 'iVe4 l:[d7 34. 'ii'xc6 bxc6 3S.l:te3 g5? 36.hxgS d2 37.'iti>c2 hgS 38 . .:le4 'iti>f7 39.lOCS l:[d8 40. l:[g4 �e7 41 . tt:Jd3 l:[fS 42.l:[xd2± Now White obtains good winning chances.

Summary 1 2.@bl / 1 2.llhel / 1 2.h4: With these alternative moves White looks for different plans. But many lines just lead to very similar positions. In 1 999, young analysts incorporated the system into their repertoire.

GAME 75 Alexandra Kosteniuk (2324) Stephen Giddins (2376) Port Erin 1 999 (6)

Here we have an interesting fight be­ tween youth and experience. Giddins tries an alternative on the I Ith move. 1 .e4 e6 2. tt:Jf3 dS 3. tt:Jc3 tt:Jf6 4.es tt:Jfd7 S.d4 cs 6.dxcS lOC6 7. �f4 hes 8.�d3 f6 9.exf6 tbxf6 1 o. 'ife2 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0 'ifaS! ? I n order t o start hostilities on the queen­ side.

� � iil ttJ 8 8 8 W/ 8 8 8 <;ti Ir I! TRICK: 1 1 ...tlJhS? is dubious because of the typical sacrifice 1 2 . .ixh7+! �xh7 (12 ...\it>h8D 257

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . lLX3 tbf6 1 3 .tbgs+ Wg6 1 3 . �d2t) 14.tbxe6!-+ with a decisive advantage for White, Kosteniuk­ Stellwagen, Wijk aan Zee 2000. 1 2. �b1 1 2 .tbeS!?. 1 2 ... tl:ib4!? This seems to be a logical move. In the event of 1 2 ... �d7 the game reverts to usual Zakharov lines: 1 3 .tbeS!? tbxeS (better may be 1 3 ... .l:i.ae8!?) 14.�xeS bS 1 5 .g4!

.I . .t. .t. A ·� �·�·� .i l

analysis diagram

1 5 ...b4 16.gS!+- Alagulian-Sambuev, Moscow ch-city 1999. 1 3. i.eS i.d7 1 3 ... d4? is an unsuccessful counter: 14.tbxd4! tbfdS 1 5 .tllb 3 (1 5 . .,tc4!?) 1 5 ...tbxc3+ 16.�xc3 'iYxa2+ 1 7.Wcl .l::rx f2.

.I A ''

• ''

. ,. • • •

analysis diagram

TRICK: And now it is White's turn: 1 8 .'iVeS! �f8 1 9.�xb4 �xb4 20 . .,txh7+ Wxh7 21 .'iYe4+ Wg8 258

22.'iYxb4+S.Navarro-Stella, Fiuggi ch-ITA-jr 2007. 1 4. tl:id4 �xd4 1 5.�xd4

.I ''

.i.

.1 • '' ·�

' � � tt:J � 8 8 8 VJ!/ 8 8 8 � : :

�

This may be the critical position in the 1 1 ...'iYas line. 1 5 ... tl:ic6 TRICK: The trap 1 5 ...eS?! does not work because of 16.Vi'xeS! (but not 1 6 . .,txeS �ae8+:t) 1 6 ... tllc6 1 7.'iYf4 tllg4 1 8 .'iYgs tbxd4 1 9.�c4!! and White is better in all lines. The most natural move would be 1 5 ... .l:i.ac8!? with lots of possibilities for both sides. 1 6.i.es tt::ixes 1 7. 'ifxes :ace According to my engine, l 7...tbg4 1 8 .'iYhS tbf6 offers better chances of equalizing. 1 8.f3!;!;; White has a classical strategic advantage, as Black's minor pieces are now inactive. 1 8... 'ifc7 1 9. l:.he1 'ii'xes 20 . .:.Xes tt::iee

t(

.i

�·· .t. .t. A ' •• : tt:J � 888 � :

Chapter 1 8 In the ending that now arises White has a clear advantage, but Kosteniuk failed to do the technical job properly. 21 . t2Je2 2 1 . �bS!? �xbS 22.ti.JxbS .l:If6 23.l:l'.del with pressure for White. 21 ... l2Jd6 22.f4 l:r.ce8 23.l:r.e3 i.bS 24. .bbS tillc bS 25.g3 @17 26.b3 h6 27. l:r.eS @f6 28.c4 0£7 29.tllc3 gS!� Changing the character of the game. 30.cxdS gxf4 31 .gxf4 exdS 32.tillcdS+ tillcd S 33. l:r.exdS l:r.e2 34. l:r.d6+ @15 35.llxh6 l:r.c8! 36. l:r.f 1 l:r.cc2=

• 8 8

-

Russian Roulette: 4.eS ti.Jfd7 S . ti.Jf3 cS 6.dxcS

John Watson (on Chesspublishing): 'Moskalenko effused over White's sys­ tem with 1 1 .0-0-0 in his Flexible French. Now we get to see him play against it!'

GAME 76 Aramis Alvarez Pedraza (251 5) Viktor Moskalenko (2564) Catalunya tt 2011 (5)

1 .e4 e6 2.tllf3 dS 3.tllc3 tllf6 4.es lllfd7 5.d4 cs 6.dxcS 0£6 7. i.f4 i.xc5 8.�d3 f6 9.exf6 tillcf6 1 0. 'iVe2 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0 a6!?

Jd

8 .i �

.i

8 Jd

Even though Black is two pawns down, the ending is still a draw. The active position of his rooks on the second rank compensates for the missing material. 37.llhS+ �f6 38.:SS a6 39.h4 llh2 40.hS llb2+ 4 1 . @a1 l:r.bd2 42.b4 llde2 43.I:lb1 llef2 44.bS llxhS 45.lla4 Not 45.bxa6?? J;:txaS 46.axb7 l:l'.axa2 mate. 45 ... :XbS 46. llxbS axb5 47.llb4 @e6 48.llxbS llxf4 49. llxb7 @d6 50.@b2 @c6 51 . llb8 rJ;;c7 112-112

Summary: After 1 1 ...�aS and 1 2 ...tt.Jb+ Black was unable to create any support for his active pieces and he soon had to switch to passive defence. In any case, this was a complicated game right up to the last move.

Quite a useful move in these lines. Actu­ ally this is the most common response. 1 2. tlJeS!? White chooses Zakharov's plan, just like after l l . . . �d7. 1 2.h4!?, 12.l:l'.hel and 1 2 . Wbl have also been played - see the next game. 1 2 .. �d6! Continuing in proper French style, fighting for the control of the central square eS: preparing 1 3 ...�c7. PUZZLE: 1 2 ... tt.Jxe5 1 3 . �xeS �d7 14.g4 �e8!?oo. If we included the moves ld.hel and ... b7-b5 now, we would find ourselves in the Zakharov-Dolmatov game seen in the comments to Game 74. .

•

1 3.i.g3 TRICK: 1 3 .Wbl? �c7! 14.lt.Jxc6 (14.Ilhel g6!:+) 14 �xf4 1 S.ti:Jd4 eS is miserable for White.

•

...

259

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . ttJc3 tli6 1 3 ... 'ifc7!

1 4. li:Jg4 Black's pressure forces White to abandon the e5-square. 14.f4 is weak because of 14 ...g6!i2, in­ tending 1 5 ... ti:Jhs. TRICK: 14 . .tf.hel? reveals the key of Black's defence: 14 ...tbxeS 1 5 . gxeS .txeS 16.'iVxeS 'iYxeS 1 7. .l:ixeS tbg4! 1 8.Iie2 tbxf2+.

W

1 4... li:Jxg4! This exchange reduces White's initiative. Another try had been played earlier: 14 ... �d7 1 5.�bl bS 16.�fS!? .l::!.a e8 with approximate equality, Zakharov­ Kashtanov, St Petersburg 1 997. 1 5. 'ifxg4 0.eS!

Now the black knight dominates on eS (threatening ...tbxg4 and ...tbxd3). 1 6.'ifd4!? In the year 2004, Spanish youngsters already improved their repertoire with this line: 16.'lihs tbxd3+ 1 7. .l:txd3 nfs 260

1 8.'lie2 �d7i2 Rodriguez Guerrero­ Cuenca Jimenez, Seville 2004. The chances are at least equal, as White has no time to build a strong pawn structure. 1 6 ... .id7 1 7.llhe1 li:Jxd3+ 1 e.:Xd3 :ace!

The placement of the major pieces of both armies is almost perfect: therefore, the minor pieces and the pawns, and certainly also the time factor, will decide the battle. 1 9.a3 b5! 20.@b1 ! l:l.f7 Prophylaxis against the tactical threat 2 1.tlJxdS!. 21 . llee3 White continues aggressively, the oth­ er rook on e3 increases his attacking potential. Objectively, better was 2 1 . �xd6 'lixd6 22.g3!?, intending f2-f4, but my opponent was afraid to become the passive side, after for example 22 ... aS!?i=Z. 21 ... 'ifcS! From the beginning Black uses simpli­ fication as the best defensive method in the 'Russian Roulette' game. 22.hd6 'ii'xd6 23.llf3 .tee A bit premature. 23 ... .l:!.c4!i first was more accurate. 24. :Xf7 24.tlJe4!i2 was the last chance for White to improve his knight. 24... hf7 25.lle3 25 . .l:tg3 .ig6+. 25 ... .ig6!

Chapter 1 8 - Russian Roulette: 4.e5 tllfd 7 5. tt:Jf3 c5 6.dxc5 Definitely improving the bishop. Now Black's strategy becomes clearer: the fight of � vs tfJ. According to Watson (and all the engines), the simple material gain 25 ...'iYxh2 was the better option. 26.g3 l:.c6 27.f4 h6 Again, prophylaxis. 27 ... aS!--+ is hard to meet - Watson. 28.h4 l:.c4 29. 'ifes 't\fxeS 30 . .:.Xes 'ittf7+

� PUZZLE: How to play? ""'fs... .ib3+! 46. '1tb1 If 46.CfJxb3 axb3+ 47.Wxb3 d2, queening. 46 ... l:.c2 ! 47.tDxb3 axb3 48. l:te1 .J:.e2! The key rook manoeuvre. 49.l:.d1 d2 0-1

Summary of 1 1 . .. a6, 1 2. tLleS: A flank attack should be met by an attack in the centre! Following this classical concept, Black played ... a7a6/. .. �d6/. ..�c7, and defended his position against Zakharov's dangerous plan. After this White had neither the time nor the resources to attack the opponent's king.

Watson: 'With the 2:0 central pawn ma­ jority and bishop-versus knight, only Black can win this.' 31 .hS .ifs 32.l:.e2 �6 33.l:.e3 :cs 34. :es l:.c6T The usual time-trouble came, but I man­ aged to keep control. 34 ... aS!+. 3S.l:.e2 l:.c4 36.l:le3? Finally allowing the winning move. 36 ... aS! 37.lDxbS hc2+ 38.�a2 a4 38 ... d4!. 39.l:.e1 d4 40.tt:Jd6 l:.c6 41 . l004+ �S 42. tlJf2 d3 43 . .l:eS+ 'ifi>f6 44. l004+ ltrf7 45. ttJd2

In the next game we investigate the various possibilities after I I ... a6.

GAME 77 Christian Esplana (2389) Dmitry Schneider (2405) Yucay 2001 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.ltJc3 dS 3.ltJf3 ttJf6 4.eS ttJfd7 S.d4 cs 6.dxcS ltJc6 7. .if4 .ixcs 8 . .id3 f6 9.exf6 tDxf6 1 0. 'ii'e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0 a6 1 2.h4!? In my opinion, this advance is a strong option. As in the line with 1 1 ...�d7, we will check the alternatives: ,-.- WEAPON: 12 ..!d'.hel b5 1 3 .CfJeS!?.

analysis diagram

26 1

Part Three - Classical System: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tbc3 tt:Jf6 is ready for a Russian Roulette game! 13 ... lllx e5 (13 ...llld4 14.'iYd2 'iYa5 1 5 .�e3 b4 1 6 .lllb loo Hammer-Time, Gausdal 2006) 14.gxe5 gd7 1 5 .g4 llle 8? 16.f4 b4 and now 1 7.lllb l (1 7.llle 4! dxe4 1 8.'MVxe4 g6 19.�c4±) 1 7...llld 6 1 8 .llld 2 lllf7 1 9.lllb3 �b6 20.gd4± Mirzoeva­ Khudaverdieva, Chisinau 2005. On the other hand, after 12.Wbl �b4!? All

.i i

.t 'iV i

6

.i � ii i6

1 5 .llle 5 ( 1 5 . 1ilxg6!?) 15 ...lllxeS (15 ...llld4!?) 1 6 . .Q.xeS b4oo Pitl-Juenger, Wolfsberg 2014; B) l 2 ... �d6!? is more balanced: 13.gxd6 'iYxd6 14 . .l:i.hel (14.h5!? Goodger-Dilleigh, Gatwick 201 1) 14... .Q.d7 1 s.nd2 .l:i.ae8 16.llle S lllxe5 1 7.�xe5 �xe5 1 8 . .l:f.xe5 lllg4 1 9. .l::!.ee2= Navarro Cia-Martins, Hinckley Island tt 2014. 1 3.�d2 'ifc7

i .t

.i CiJ .i CiJ 8 8 8 "fi 8 8 8 fl � J::i. analysis diagram

TRICK: ... now the key move 1 3 .llle 5?? (2 13.�d2oo) is too late: 13 ... �xc3 14.bxc3 llle4! (14...�a5?! 1 5 . .td2oo Skorchenko­ Pipnikov, Belorechensk 2007) 1 5.gxe4 .l:i.xf4+ and Black's po­ sition is much better. 1 2 ... �b4!? Playing in Maccutcheon style. Other ways to gain counterplay are: A) l 2 ... b5, a normal counterattack: 1 3 .h5 (13.llle 5 �d6!?) 13 ...�a5 14.h6 g6

analysis diagram

262

1 4.g4 Too risky. � WEAPON: Of course, 14.h5!? was a more natural move, with the idea of playing h5-h6, and if 14... e5? 1 5 .lllx d5! 1 4 ... �d7 According to the engine 14 ... e5! was fine for Black. 1 s.
Chapter 1 8 1 7... ll:igeS TRICK: Without deep analysis it is impossible to evaluate l 7 ... tbxf2!?, with an extremely complicated position. The engine evaluates 1 8 . .ixh7+! Wxh7 1 9.�hs+ Wg8 20.g6 id'.fSO 2 1 .�h7+ Wf8 as winning for Black.

W

-

Russian Roulette: 4.e5 tbfd7 5 . tbf3 c5 6.dxc5

GAME 78 Jacek Bielczyk (2299) Oliver Zier (21 01 ) Marianske Lazne 2010 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ll:ic3 ll:if6 4.e5 ll:ifd7 5.ll:if3 c5 6.dxc5 ll:ic6 7.Af4 Axes 8 . .id3 f6 9.exf6 tillcf6 1 0. \i'e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0

1 8.f4 1 8 . .ixh7+!? 'it>xh7 1 9.'li'hs+ Wg8 20.g6 tbxg6 21 .'li'xg6oo. 1 a ... tillcd 3 1 9. tillcd 3 Ad6!

And Black won after a tough battle: 20. 'ifg2 ll:id4 21 . .ie3 ll:if5+ 22 . .ic1 .ic6 23.:lde1 b5! 24. :lh3 b4 25.ll:ie2 .ib5 26 . .id2 a5 27.:lc1 'ii' ba 28. \i'g1 .:ca 29.hS llc4 30.b3 lle4 31 . \i'g2 a4 32.c4 bxc3 33.tillcc3 lld4 34. tillc bS 'ii'xb5 35.llc3 :aa 36 . .ic1 'ifaG 37.gG h6 38.'ife2 :le4 39.\i'c2 axb3 40. 'ii'xb3 :lb8 41 . 'ifxb8+ hb8 42.ll:icS llb4+ White resigned.

1 1 ... ll:ib4 Only two more games were played with this line so far. Black abandons control of the strategic eS-square, but he can exchange the dangerous bishop on d3. Two other novelties are: A) l l .. . �d6 - this manoeuvre may be slightly premature. The best option is to wait until White moves his knight to e5: 12 . .ixd6 (12.�g3!?) 12 ...'iYxd6 1 3 J1hel �d7 14.'iii>b l .ld.ae8 1 5 . .ibS!?

Summary:

The alternatives 1 2.h4, 1 2 . .l:lhel and 1 2 .Wbl merely provide more bullets for a game of Russian Roulette! In recent years there has been consider­ able activity in this variation, with the introduction of several new ideas.

analysis diagram

15 ...Wh8 16 . .ixc6 �xc6 1 7.tbeS tt.Jd7 18.f3 tt.Jxe5 1 9.�xeS �xeS 20 . .l::rxeS± and step by step White managed to win this ending, Madan-Castaldo, Torre del Greco 2006; 263

Part Three - Classical System: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tllc3 tllf6 B)

l 1 ...'i'e7

is a waiting move:

analysis diagram

1 2 .tlle S (12.l::rhel!?) 12 ... �d4 1 3 .tllxc6 bxc6 14.�eS ....- TRICK: 14.�xh7+ tllx h7 1 5 . l:txd4 • c5 1 6 .tllxdS °iVf7 1 7.tlle 7+ 'i¥xe7 1 8.�d6oo. 14 ... �xeS 1 5 .'ifxeS °iVb4 (15 ...tt::ld ?!? 1 6.'i:Wg3 1lb8 1 7.a3 eS<=!) 1 6.f3 �b8 1 7.tt::le2 cS 1 8.a3 'i¥b6 1 9.c4 tlld 7 20.'i¥c3 d4 2 1 .Vi\Vc2 tlle S 22.l:!.d2 tt::lx d3+ 23.l::rxd3 �d7 with a big edge, Bellini­ Garcia Palermo, Porto San Giorgio 2006. 1 2.ttJeS Interesting is 12.�e3!?, or 12 . .l::!.hel tllxd3+ 1 3.'iYxd3 �xf2 14.l::re2 �b6 1 5 .tt::lg S±, Lopez Rodriguez-Rodriguez Fontecha, Cartagena 2007. 1 2 ... t2Jd7!? 1 2 ...'iVaS 1 3.a3 tllxd3+ I 4.l::i:xd3 tt::ld 7 (14... bS 15 . .l:f.g3 b4 1 6 .tt::lc6;;!;; Huerga Leache-Sanchez Lopez, Barcelona 2014) I S .'i¥g4!i tt::lf6 1 6.'iYh4 �d6 1 7. .l:f.el bS 1 8 . .l:f.g3 �a6.

.1 9 ii .i.! i � i ttJ � Vi' .:

���

analysis diagram

264

.:

Now a thematic combination fol­ lows: l 9. .l:f.xg7+! \t>xg7 20.�h6+ Wh8 2 1 .tllg 6+! hxg6 22 . ..ixf8+ Wg8 23.Ji.xd6+Savitskiy-Cherniuk, Salekhard 2007. 1 3.ti'hS!? 1 3 .tllxd7 �xd7 14. �e3 tllxd3+ (14 ... .l:f.c8! was a more active defence) 15 .'i¥xd3 �xe3+ 1 6.'i¥xe3 Vi\Vf6 1 7.f3 'fi'f4 1 8.'fi'xf4 �xf4 1 9.�hel and White's game is easier, Slovineanu-Warner, Turin Olympiad 2006. 13 ... tbxd3+ 1 4. tbxd3 .i.xf2

1 5.ti'e2?!

tfl-- WEAPON: White missed a nice tactic here: 1 5 .tllxdS ! exdS 1 6.'iVxdS+ �h8 1 7.tllxf2 �xf4 1 8 .tlld 3i. 1 5 ... ti'b6 1 6.tbxf2 lhf4 1 7.l:[hf1 lLif6 Draw.

Summary: Black's latest alternatives, l 1 ...tllb4, l l ... �d6 and l 1 ...'i¥e7, do not essentially change the evaluation of the variation. Play is very similar to the usual lines after 1 1 .0-0-0.

Chapter 1 8 - Russian Roulette: 4.eS lllfd7 5 . lllf3 cS 6.dxcS .-=:- Statistics and Summary of the Zakharov Variation (11.0-0-0) Total in the period 1 997-2014: 2 1 7 games. White wins = 1 06=48,8%. Performance 2297 Draw=S l Black wins =60=27,6%. Performance 2 190 The sharpest and most intense fight occurs in the lines where White uses Zakharov's plan beginning with tlle S!?, followed by the advance of his kingside pawns. For his part, Black must choose the effective counter-plan that can be found in my notes, and study it thoroughly. As we can see after a brief study of this variation, the theory is as yet not well developed, so it is very difficult to assess the huge amount of sub-variations, full of possibilities for both players. But the idea of 1 1 . 0 -0-0 ! ? should be investigated. We can expect rapid practical and theoretical advances in this line. Even though in many lines the position is more or less balanced, it is interesting that White has more than one original plan available: he can develop an attack on the kingside or play in classical style in the centre. His advantage lies in the strategic points given at the beginning of this chapter. Since this new variation is now being played quite often, we can expect an even more rapid evolution of the line.

265

Part Four

Behind the Barricades Winawer Variation - 1.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tLca fil>4 A Repertoire for Black 'Barricades always have two sides' - the author

Introduction The first player who investigated the 3 .tllc 3 �b4 variation in the French Defence was the well-known Polish master Szymon Winawer (1838-1920). He defended from both sides of the barricades, playing this line both as White and as Black. Another specialist in the French Defence, and the author of My System, Aaron Nimzowitsch ( 1 8 8 6- 1 9 3 5) , was one of the strongest dogmatic chess players of his time. Both in his games and his concepts, he preferred playing 'without colours' . Meanwhile, another main character of that period of chess history, the fourth World Champion Alexander Alekhine ( 1 89 2 - 1 946) , often liked to play openings with both colours and he made investigations beyond dogmas and general rules. In my opinion, the main debate has carried on until the present day, only the pro­ tagonists have changed. This clash of concepts will be the key subject of Part Four, where we will learn how to play using 'both colours' in the Winawer Variation of the French Defence. 267

Part Four -Winawer Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . t2lc3 �b4 Ideas The main ideas of the 3 ... �b4 pin are quite simple: to attack the centre without wasting any tempi (as in the Classical Variation 3 ...ttJf6 4.e5). In this way, the king's knight stays on its most flexible square: g8. In the event of ... �b4xltJc3-bxc3 Black will obtain a favourable pawn structure. The other bishop can be exchanged after ...b7-b6 and ... �a6, or activated by manoeuvres such as ... ..td7-a4 or ... �d7-e8-g6. For his part, White must take advantage of his space surplus, of the weakness created on g7 (with W'g4!) the mobility of his minor pieces, and also the attacking resources offered by the h-pawn with h2-h4. ,

Directions In this Part we will investigate three directions: Chapter 19 (C16) My System in the Winawer 4.eS b6 Chapter 20 (C1 8) Old Winawer - 4.eS cS S.a3 �xc3+ 6.bxc3 'Wlc7 7.W'g4 fS Chapter 2 1 (C1 8) Black Queen Blues 4.eS cS S.a3 �xc3+ 6.bxc3 'W/as 7.�d2 °iVa4 -

-

In order to complete your knowledge of this system I would recommend to read my previous book The Wonderful Winawer, New In Chess 2010.

268

Chapter 19

-

My System in the Winawer

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�3 i.b4 4.es b6

This is a typical plan in the Winawer, with a couple of strategic ideas: it is based on trying to exchange the light-squared bishops by ... �a6, thereby reducing White's initiative, or else playing in Petrosian's fianchetto style with ... �b7/... tllc6/...�d7 followed by queenside castling. In both cases the position remains very closed (Games 79 and 80). Black always has the option of playing the typical French advance . . . cl -cS . Then, after dxcS bxcS , a wonderful pawn centre is created for him: c5 /d5 (Garnes 79-8 1 ) . There is very little theory on these lines! S. �g4 �f8 !?: the genie returns to the bottle - a bishop is a long-striding piece In the above theoretically important position, after the natural move 5.a3 (Garnes 80 and 8 1) the bishop's retreat was probably first used by Petrosian and Kortchnoi in 1 957. But in the most aggressive line with 5.'tWg4 the idea was known much earlier; see Alexander-Alekhine. Margate 1 938, in the notes to Game 79. It may seem that Black has just wasted two full tempi, but he can claim that tllc 3 and a2-a3 are not very useful moves in the closed structure, and he may just be right . . .

The well-known Polish master Szymon Winawer ( 1 83 8 - 1 920) was the first to investigate the system with 3 . ILJc 3 �b4. He defended from both sides of the barricades, playing this line both as White and as Black.

269

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 �b4

My System - Games GAME 79

Alexander Chistiakov Tigran Petrosian Moscow ch-city 1 956

The following old game is a perfect collection of the main ideas in the Winawer line with ... b7-b6/. .. �f8. 1 .e4 eG 2.d4 d5 3. lllc3 i.b4! 4.e5 b6!? 5. 'ii'g4

.! " 'if • " .! ' ' ''' ' ' i8 .t 8 ttJ 888 g � The most aggressive manoeuvre in the French Defence. The pawn on g7 is under attack. The well-known alternative is 5.a3!?, a move we will examine in Games 80 and 8 1 . 5 ... �f8!

The genie returns to the bottle and the barricades are reinforced. This was Alekhine's preferred choice. In the stem game the choice was 5 ... g6, the 'dogmatic' way of defending the kingside in old times, Thomas­ Nimzowitsch, Carlsbad 1 929. 6.lLif3 Other attempts are more or less equi­ valent: A) 6.�gS; although this move has its own tactical ideas. It is very popular in practice, also on the Internet.

i " .t 'if • .t " .! ' ' ''' ' ' i8 8 tt:i

888 �

analysis diagram

6 ...�d7! TRICK: 6 ...t1Je7? 7.�xe7! �xe7 8.t1Jxd5! . 7.0-0-0 �a6 TRICK: 7... h6!? intending 8.�h4?? gS! , winning material and Internet coinage, Padevsky­ Portisch, Varna Olympiad 1 962. For example, 9.�g3 hS!-+ etc. 8 .t1Jh3 (8.�xa6 is similar: 8 ... t1Jxa6 9.Wbl h6 1 O.�cl t1Je7 l l .�e2 t1Jb4 1 2.f4 hS= Lopez Martinez-Moskalenko, Mataro 2004/05) 8 ... �xfl 9.id.hxfl t1Jc6 10.f4 t1Jge7 l l . �xe7 t1Jxe7 1 2 .�e2 hS 1 3 .t1JgS t1Jfs with an equal position, Alexander-Alekhine, Margate 1 938;

•

•

Tigran Vananovich Petrosian ( 1 9 29- 1 9 84) never attacked his opponent directly. He liked to attack from behind the barricades.

270

PLAN: 6.t1Jh3 introduces the most flexible manoeuvre: 6 ...�d7 7.�gS (or 7.�e3 �a6 8.�xa6 t1Jxa6 9.t1Jf4 t1Jb4 1 0.0-0-0

Chapter 1 9

-

My System in the Winawer: 4.eS b6 S . 'iVg4 .2.f8

0-0-0 1 l .�e2 @b7= Vehi Bach-Moskalenko, Badalona 2003) 7...{iJc6 8.0-0-0 .2.b7 9.@bl h6 10 . .2.M {iJge7 1 1 .{iJf4 {iJfS! 1 2.{iJhs {iJxM 1 3.'ifxM �e7 14.�g4 0-0-0=.

analysis diagram

This is a key game: 1 5 .M Wb8 16.l:th3 {iJaS 1 7.{iJe2 cS ( 1 7... g6!? with the idea 1 8.{iJf6 hS 1 9.'ti'f4 {iJc4t) 1 8.dxcS bxcS 1 9.'iif4 'ti'c7 20.{iJcl {iJc6+ and Black soon won the game, Makarichev­ Timman, Amsterdam 1 975; B) 6.f4 - the pawn wedge; 6 ...�d7 (6 ...{iJh6!? or 6 ... cS!? with equal chances) 7.�f3 {iJe7 8 .g4 hS! 9.h3 .2.b7!? intending 10 . .2.e3 {iJbc6 1 1 .{iJge2 0-0-0�.

• .! ' .t ' 'iV a ' .t. 'a ' .t. 8 8 88 CiJ �� 8 8 8 CiJ �� M

.! .t. 8

I:t:

analysis diagram

Black plays the King's Indian set-up with reversed colours. 1 2.{iJg3 h4 1 3 .{iJhS {iJg8! 14.0-0-0 g6 l S.{iJf6 {iJxf6 1 6.exf6 {iJas with an excellent game, Sermier­ Moskalenko, Sitges 2008. 6 'ffd7

.1 a .t • .t a .1 .t. .t. 'iV .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. 8 Ii � 888 n � 7.a3 In order to play b2-b4. A) If 7. .2.bs {iJc6!; B) Or else, for instance: 7.a4 {iJc6!? (a common alternative is 7... .2.a6 8.{iJbs {iJe7! 9.c4 {iJbc6! I 0 . .2.d2 .2.b7! 1 1 .cxdS {iJxdS� Montell Lorenzo-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2006) 8 . .2.d2 {iJge7 9. .2.e2 {iJfS! 10.0-0 hS l l .�f4 g6!= and the barricades are built, Tal-Petrosian, Leningrad ch-URS 1977; C) 7. .2.d3 {iJc6!? (7... .2.a6 8.0-0 {iJe7 9.{iJe2 kxd3 1 0.cxd3 {iJbc6oo Kamsky­ Zugic, Buenos Aires 2005) 8.a3 �b7 9 . .2.gS h6 1 0 . .2.e3 0-0-0 with equal chances, Sax-Bronstein, Budapest 1977. 7 ttJcG Trading the bishops with 7... .2.a6!? is the main alternative: 8 . .2.xa6 {iJxa6 9.0-0 {iJe7 lO.{iJe2 {iJb8 1 1 ..2.gs {iJbc6 1 2 .b3 {iJfs 1 3 .{iJg3 h6! I4 . .2.d2 g6 (14 ... o-O-O!?) l S.i¥f4 .2.e7 16.l:tfdl gSt - a new Black Jet, Matanovic-Kortchnoi, Uppsala 1 956. s .te3 .tb7 ...

.

.! • .i_ lj i .t. .t ' 'if .t. .t. .t. 'a ' .t. 8 8 'iV 8 CiJ � (jj 888 88 n @� n

...

27 1

Part Four -Winawer Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tLlc3 �b4 Remarkably, Petrosian never offered to exchange his queen's bishop. His favourite set-up was the fianchetto: ... b7b6 . ... c7-c6 and ...tt.Jb7 (which reminds of the King's Indian Defence with re­ versed colours). 9. �b5 A useless move. There is nothing to attack here. 9 . 0-0-0 1 0.0-0 llJge7 1 1 .b4 fG� Black is ready for action. 1 2.l:r.fe1 tt:Jf5 1 3. 'ii' h3 h5! 1 4.g3? Not 14.g4? hxg4! 1 5.'iVxhS �xb4!-+. Better was 14.exf6 gxf6 1 5 . �d3 h4zt. 1 4 ...aG 1 5 . .ta4 Or 1 5.�d3 lLixe3 1 6.fxe3 (1 6.I:!.xe3 gS!) 1 6 ... g5!+. 1 5 ... g5! .

.

The Black Jet is jumping from the barri­ cades! Black controls the game. 1 6.g4 hxg4 16 ...tl:\xe3!? 1 7.�xe3 f5! also wins. 1 7. 'ii'x h8 gxf3 1 8. 'ii' h 5 Or else 1 8.'iVxf6 b5 1 9.�b3 tbcxd4 with a great advantage. 1 8 ... b5 1 9.tbxbS axb5 20.hb5 fxe5 21 .@h1 'ii'g7 22. hc6 .i.xc6 23.dxe5 .te7 24.b5 .i.b7! 25. 'ii'g4 l:r.h8 26. 'ii'g 1 d4 27. .i.d2 g4 28 . .i.f4 g3! 29. hg3 tbxg3+ 0-1 A typical, excellent win by Tigran 'the Tiger' Petrosian.

Summary: The opening ends after 5.'iVg4 �f8. However, the main question for Black 272

is which of two plans to choose: the strategic exchange of the queen's bishop or the strong Petrosian plan with ... c7c6/. ..tl:ib7. Both choices offer possibilities of a creative defence. Potentially, the set-up with ... b7b6/. .. .if8 offers dynamic play quite early, thanks to the fact that all the pieces and pawns (and squares!) remain on the board.

GAME 80 Garry Kasparov (2795) Vasily lvanchuk (2740) Horgen 1 995 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tt:Jc3 .tb4 4.e5 b6 5.a3!?

A logical and automatic move to clarify the two sides' strategies. 5 ... .i.f8!? Vasily Ivanchuk, one of the greatest champions of modern chess, sets his opponents tough tasks in all types of positions. 5 ... �xc3+!? remains a popular alternative: 6.bxc3 tbe7 7.'iVg4 tl:\g6 8 .h4 h5 9.'iVg3 �a6 10.tl:\e2 (10.�xa6 tbxa6 1 1 .tbe2 c5+:t Retinsky-Moskalenko, Alushta 1 995) 10. .. �f8 1 1 .a4 tbc6!? 1 2.tl:\f4 �xfl ! 1 3 .tl:\xg6+ fxg6 14.�xfl 'iVe8oo Leko-Moskalenko, Copenhagen 1 995. Analysed in The Wonderful Winawer, Game 10. 6.tt:Jf3

Chapter 1 9

-

My System in the Winawer: 4.eS b6 5 . 'ti'g4 �f8 14.'ti'e3 a5 1 s.nb1 axb4 1 6.axb4 0ibs l 7.gd2 na2 1 8.0-0 £.e7 1 9.CiJh2 'ti'a8 20.f4 'ti'a3 2 1 .CUcl nxd2! 22.'ti'xd2 CiJxc3-+ Baches Garcia-Moskalenko, Catalunya ch 2003; D) Or else 6.b4 cS!? 7.CiJf3 tLlc6!? 8 . gd3 c4 9.gfl b5!.

Throughout his chess career, Garry Kasparov suffered several painful defeats with the white colour against the French.

A very natural developing move. The following examples from my own prac­ tice may also be instructive: A) 6 . �e3 CiJe7 7.�d3 �a6 8 .CiJge2 'ti'd7 9.CiJg3 gxd3 10.'ti'xd3 CiJbc6 l l .b4oo Colovic-Moskalenko, Montcada Open 2003; B) 6.£.bS+, avoiding the exchange of the light-squared bishops: 6 ... c6 7.£.a4 gd7 8.CiJce2 cS 9.�b3 i..b s 1 0.c3 CiJc6 1 l .CiJf3 CiJge7 1 2.0-0 CiJfs was equal in Korneev-Moskalenko, Montcada Open 2003; C) 6.h4 cS!? 7.CiJf3 iLa6 8 . .2.xa6 CiJxa6 9.�d3 CiJc7 1 0.hS h6 1 1 .CiJe2 0ie7 1 2.c3 CiJc6 1 3 .b4 c4!

analysis diagram

In Nimzowitsch' 'system' style. 1 0.g3 (1 0.tLlxbS as 1 1 .£.gs 'iYb6+:!:) 1 0 ... aS 1 1 .tLlxbS axb4 1 2.a4 ga6 1 3 . gd2 'ti'a5 14. .l:!'.bl -2.xbS 1 5.axbS 'ti'xbS+ Baron Rodriguez-Moskalenko, Mataro 2004/05. 6 tbe7!? The right manoeuvre, waltmg one more move. We will examine the risky advance 6 ... cS!? in the next game PLAN: The strategic idea 6 ... .2.a6 �g could be too hasty, but it has its good points: 7.i..xa6 tLlxa6 ...

r�1

analysis diagram analysis diagram

8.h4 (or, for instance, 8.tLle2!?, heading for f4: 8 ...�d7 9.0-0 c6 1 0 .0if4 !JJ.e 7 273

Part Four -Winawer Variation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 �b4 l 1 .'iYd3 0ic7 12.�d2 hS 13 . .l:1acl 0-0-0 14.c4 @b7 15 . .l::Ic 3t, preparing .l:i.fc l , in­ creasing the pressure along the c-file, Leko-Vaganian, Yerevan Wch-tt 2001) 8 ...0ie7 9.h5 h6 10.'iYd3 0ib8 l 1 .llle 2 cS 1 2.dxc5 bxcS 1 3.c4 tllbc6 14.0-0 gs1

E 1

'i¥ 1* j_ E 61 6 1 I. 1 8 8 8 'iV CiJ 8 CiJ 8 8 tr � :id �

7 ...h6!? This move seems to be useful, since it defends the gs-square. On the other hand, after 7... hS 8 . �gS! White gained a slight initiative in A. Sokolov-Portisch, Moscow GMA 1 990. 8.h5 A recent game saw 8.b4 c5! 9.�d3 0iec6 1 0.bS ti:ixd4 I I .ti:ixd4 cxd4 1 2 .0ie2 a6+ Negi-Marin, Erts La Massana 201 2 . 8 ... a5!?

analysis diagram

1 5 .hxg6 0ixg6 1 6.cxdS 'iYxdS 1 7.°iVbS 'iYd7+± threatening ...0icxe5 , Berzinsh­ Moskalenko, Solsona 2003. 7.h4 However, we all know that Kasparov will never wait for you! After 7.�d3 ...

E E � .t. 'i¥ • 1 1 �1 1 1 1 1 18 • 8 ti CiJ � CiJ 88 888 : � 'iV � : l �l

analysis diagram

PLAN: ... a possible answer is

�g 7... 0ibc6!?, Petrosian's favourite

plan (or 7... �a6 8 .�xa6 0ixa6 9.0-0 c5?! 10.0ie2 0ic6 1 1 .0if4oo Lopez Martinez-Moskalenko, Villa Salou 2006) 8.0-0 �b7 9.i.d2 °iVd7 1 0.b4 0ig6 1 1 ..l::Ie l Nedeljkovic-Petrosian, 1/2-1/2 Vienna Ech-tt 1957. 274

As usual, Ivanchuk finds his own path instead of choosing between ... i.a6 or ...0ic6/ .. j(b7. 9. �b5+ A thematic check, avoiding the exchange of the light-squared bishops. 9 . c6 1 O .b4 lLld7 1 1 .l2Je2 b5 1 2. �b3 cs 1 3.c3 lLlc6 1 4.0-0 'ifc7 1 5.l:.e1 c4 1 6. �c2 .

.

.

E j_ • 'i¥ � 1 1 1 � 1 11 18 8 18 8 8 CiJ 8 � CiJ 8 8 : � 'iV :ld � E

With a position very similar to the Laby­ rinths seen in Part One: the Advance Variation with c2-c3. White will have a hard time finding an effective plan.

Chapter 1 9

-

1 6 ... lllb6 1 7. �f4 �e7 1 8. �g3 l:lb8! Everything is ready for the 'barricades' attack ...b5-b4. 1 9.lllh2 'it'd8?! Lacking confidence. 19 ...b4! was a good move. 20.lllg4 b4! �

.I .I _t � .i. l l l �� l 18 8 l .l l 8 CiJ � 8 8 8 � CiJ 8 8 iV l:t � l:t

21 .axb4 axb4 22.cxb4? After this unfortunate exchange Black gains the initiative on the queenside. 22 ... tt::Jxb4 23.�b1 �d7 24.b3 .:as 25.:Xaa 'it'xaa 26.bxc4 li:Jxc4 27. li:Jc1 ? The manoeuvres of the white knights have not been very successful in this game. 27 ... �a4 28. 'ife2 'Wa7! Winning the d4-pawn. 29.li:Je3 'Wxd4 30.li:Jxc4 dxc4 0-1 31 . 'Wf1 0-0 This was one of Kasparov's last losses with the white colour.

GAME 81 Viktor Moskalenko (2540) Jorge Gonzalez Rodriguez (2428) Montcada Open 2006 (5)

'Barricades always have two sides.' 1 .e4! I usually play l .d4, but I took this decision because I knew that against l .e4 my opponent always chooses the French Defence, which is also part of my repertoire. 1 ... e6

My System in the Winawer: 4.e5 b6 5. 'Ii'g4 �f8 Now I do not care about the colour of my pieces! 2.d4 d5 3. li:Jc3 �b4 4.e5 b6 5.a3 �f8 6. li:Jf3 c5!?

An almost unknown move introduced by Kortchnoi back in 1 976. Black changes his plan and goes back to the usual French paths by attacking the centre. 7.�g5!? 7.�d3 tt::lc6 8.0-0oo Golubev-Nosenko, Klaipeda 1985. 7 ... 'ifd7 A novelty. My opponent in this game is a very creative player who always finds his own paths, even if they are (too) risky. I have also played this line with the black pieces, but I preferred 7... !Jl.e7 8 . �xe7 (8.h4!?, threatening lLib5 , was somewhat better for White in Kurajica­ Kortchnoi, Amsterdam IBM 1976) 8 ... lLixe7 9.tt::lb5 0-0!= Fluvia Poyatos­ Moskalenko, Badalona 2 0 0 5 . 8.dxc5!? From this point onwards I felt that White should open up the position as much as possible, in order to take advantage of his better development. One of my later games with black continued 8.JlbS lLic6 9.Jil,a4 a6 1 0.dxcS bS! 1 1 .�b3 �xc5 1 2 .'ife2 h6 (12 ... tt:Jge7!?) 1 3 .�f4 lLige7 14.0-0-0 'i!lfa7oo, but according to the engine Black is much better, Lopez Martinez-Moskalenko, Sants Open 2006. 275

Part Four -Winawer Variation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tt:Jc3 �b4 8 ... bxc5 9. i.b5 lllc6 1 O.O·O

14. .l:!'.el) 14.�xc6 �xc6 1 5.ti:Je5+- with the threats 1 6.tbxc6 and 1 6 .'iVh5+. 1 3. ltJb6 'if b7 1 4. ttJx:ae This seems natural. Also good was the engine's move 14.ll:ixg5!? llh4 (14...°iVxb6? l S.'tWf3 with decisive threats) 1 5 .b4! with an almost winning advantage. 1 4... .te7 Black i s ready to capture the a8-knight, but... 1 5.ltJxg5!

Black's centre is strong, but he is under­ developed, and so White has many tactical chances. 1 0 ...a6?! The unnecessary weakening of the b6square will cost Black dearly. ,,,,.._ WEAPON: Better was the imme­ diate 10 ... h6!? 1 1 .�M {jjg e7oo Asis Gargatagli-Gonzalez Rodriguez, Barcelona 2012. 1 1 . b4 h6? The white bishops prevent Black from developing comfortably. Defending is not easy here. 1 2. ltJxd5!!

1 5 ... .td7 TRICK: There is no time for 1 5 ... �xgS 1 6 .'i¥d6! �d7 1 7.ll:ic7+ Wd8 1 8.�fdl ! 'iYxc7 1 9.'iYf8 mate;

t( o

TRICK: Or 1 5 ...'iVxa8 1 6 .'i¥f3! . 91 6.ltJxf7!

Another kamikaze knight! 1 6 ... "1txf7 1 7.ltJb6! 'ifxb6 In the event of 1 7... �e8 1 8.'iVfH Wg6, simply l 9.tbc4 wins. 1 8. 'ifxd7 ltJx:e5 1 9. 'ifea+ �6

I had foreseen this blow and now the moment has arrived. White sacrifices his minor pieces in order to penetrate into the opponent's fortress. 1 2 ... hxg5 The main point of White's combina­ tion is 1 2 ... exdS? 1 3 .e6! fxe6 (13 ...'iVxe6 276

Chapter 1 9

-

My System in the Winawer: 4.e5 b6 5 . 'iVg4 �f8

It looks as though the storm has blown over and Black can begin to breathe, but now the second part of the attack be­ gins, this time with the major pieces. 20.l:ae1 ! This game follows strategic concepts. The ideas are: activating the rook and preparing �b3 and f2-f4, with an irre­ sistible attack. 20... ttJf3+!?

lLlg6 23.�b3, still with a big advantage for White. 21 .gxf3 2 1 .@hl?? .!d.xh2 mate. 21 ... 'it'd6 Threatening mate in one! A counterat­ tacking attempt that fails. 22.h3! This quiet move solves the problem. 22 ... :Xh3 23.:Xe6+! !

Attack is the best form of defence! This resource seems to be very strong, since it opens up the white king's position. We now arrive at the key moment in the game. After 20 ...�d6 White has 2 1 .!ie3! , threatening 2 2 . .!d.fe l ! and parrying the threat of 2 1 ...tLlf3+, because now the knight will be captured with check. The most tenacious defence was probably 20 ... �d8 21 .�xd8 �xd8 22.f4

The final hardhitter in this game. 23 ... 'ii'xe6 Or 23 ... @xe6 24. ..td?+ (24.'tWg6+!? wins as well) 24 ...�xd? 25 . .l:lel+, winning the queen. 24. �d7 Black resigned, since he loses his rook on h3 without compensation. I greatly enjoyed this dynamic game, both while playing and while analysing the lines more calmly at home.

Epilogue The defensive system with 4 ... b6 and 5 ... �f8 allows you to: 1) either fight dogmas or follow them (and even beat Garry Kasparov!); 2) avoid long theoretical lines; 3) go straight into the middlegame; 4) defend against the dangerous attack with °ifg4; 5) spend some time playing purely strategic chess ... What else can we ask for? Oh yes, STATISTICS! However, in these lines there are only attackers, defenders and eventually, just ruins. So statistics simply do not matter. What you must keep in mind is: barricades always have two sides! 277

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tllc3 i.b4

Chapter 20

-

The Old Winawer

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.lUc3 �b4 4.e5 cs 5.a3 hc3+ 6.bxc3 'it'c7 7. 'ii'g4 f5

- � i. i i 'iV

8 1::

•

�­ ii

i ii8i 8 'iV 8 8 888 � \t' � tlJ �

6 ...'iVc7!? is a method of playing the Winawer which was preferred by Mikhail Botvinnik. The manoeuvre of the black queen is 'multi-geometrical', since it protects the seventh rank against 'iVg4 (with .. .f7-f5) and usually counterattacks tactically along the c-file. This 'old Winawer' system contains many resources - and it is always possible to revert to the modern lines. Strategy and Tactics: 8. 'tWg3 or 8. 'l!Vhs + -�l PLAN: (Games 82-84) after 8.'iVg3, the precise move 8 . tl:Jc6! disturbs White's -=-� dangerous manoeuvre tl:Je2-f4 (see 8 ...tt:Jc6 9.tl:Je2 Wf7! Game 84). ..

K .t 9 i i 'iV � i i i 8 i. 8 8 8 This idea received great theoretical attention over the last years, and was featured in my games and writings. The benefit of attacking d4 and eS successfully replaced Black's old favourite plan with ... b7-b6 and ... �a6. _.--TRICK: Pay attention to Black's tactical tricks with .. .f5-f4/. ..tt:Jxd4 (Game 82, • Fluvia Poyatos-Moskalenko and Game 83, Alsina Leal-Moskalenko).

278

Chapter 20 - The Old Winawer: 4.eS cS S.a3 �c3+ 6.bxc3 �c7 There is a deviation after 8.'iVg3 : 8...tl:ie7!? 9.'t!Wxg7

! � .t i i�

8 :

• I � iV i i i i 8 i. 8 8 8 888 � � � '8 :

This is the sharpest idea, with motifs similar to the Poisoned Pawn Variation (Game 85, Kovchan-Rapport). The presence of the black pawn on fS (instead of f7) could be new ('poisoned'?) food for dynamic players, as well as for such authors like Watson and my Swedish friend, GM Emanuel Berg. The main alternative is 8.'ifhS+!?.

With the idea 8 ..g6 9.'iVdl (Game 86, Sutovsky-Moskalenko). White loses time by playing three moves with the queen. But after provoking . . . f7 fS and ... g 7-g6, he aims for a static game. .

I would recommend two playable options for Black: • 8 . 'iff7!? or • 8 g6 9.'l!Vdl cxd4!?, accepting the consequences of White's gambit. But not the main move 9 gd7?!. ..

...

•

..•

279

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 �b4

The Old Winawer - Games The following five games introduce the key resources of Black's counterplay.

GAME 82 Jordi Fluvia Poyatos (2399) Viktor Moskalenko (2530) Catalunya ch 2005 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ll:ic3 .tb4 4.e5 cs 5.a3 .i.xc3+ 6.bxc3 'ifc7!?

•

� .i ill

ll8 • 8 8 8 888 � iY � i. tlJ g l

In order to meet the attack �g4 with .. .f7-f5. 7.'ifg4 Logical and strong. PLAN: The most conventional lir play occurs after 7.tbf3 b6!? 8 . �b5+ �d7 9.�d3 �a4 1 0.0-0 c4 l l . �e2 tbc6

1 8 .g5 tl:Jf5+ Felgaer-Moskalenko, Barce­ lona rapid 2004. 7.. .f5! The key defence of g7. 7...tbe7 8 .�xg7 leads to the dynamic Poisoned Pawn variation, analysed in my book The Won­ derful Winawer. 8. 'it'g3 With pressure on the kingside. Another interesting possibility is 8 .�h5+!?, see Game 86 . 8 ... ll:ic6! This is perhaps the best move order, to avoid dangerous manoeuvres such as tbe2-tbf4. Less good is 8 ...cxd4?! . I played this exchange almost automat­ ically in my first games. After 9.cxd4 tbe7 (9...il/xc2?! 10.�d2 �c7 1 1 ..i::i.c l tbc6 12.�b5!?� is 4-0 for White) 1 0.c3 c� 10.�d2 tl:Jbc6 l l .tbe2 0-0 1 2 .h4 f4!+:t Vehi Bach-Moskalenko, Barcelona rapid 2004) 1 0 ... 0-0 I l .tl:Je2! ...

[fl -

.i l j_ 8 g

• 'iV ... �

� .i ill

l 18 • 18 8 8 i. 8 8 8 iL iV g �

analysis diagram

1 2 .tbel (or, for example 1 2.tbg5 h6 1 3.tbh3 0-0-0!? 14.f4 f5 1 5 .exf6 tbxf6 1 6.tbf2 g5!t Slaby-Moskalenko, Villa Salou 2005) 1 2 ...tbge7 1 3 .f4 0-0-0 14.�e3 f6 1 5 . �f2 �d7 16.g4?! h5! 1 7.exf6 gxf6 280

analysis diagram

... White has a pleasant game, combining tl:Jf4 with h2-h4: l l ...tbg6 1 2.h4 (better first 12 . .l::!.b l !N±, avoiding the counter­ blow .. .f5-f4, and then push h2-h4) 1 2... f4! 1 3 .�h3 (13.�g4 f3 !?N) 1 3 .. .f3 ! (13... h5 14.�d3± Edouard-E.Pahtz, Antwerp 201 1) 14.gxf3 tbc6 1 5 . .l::i.g l tba5gg . PUZZLE: 8 ...tbe7!? is a rare and risky, but interesting alternative see Game 85.

•

9.ll:if3

Chapter 20 - The OldWinawer: 4.e5 c5 5 .a3 �c3 + 6.bxc3 'fi'c7 The natural defence of d4, but now Black's position is much more secure, since the white knight cannot get to f4 via e2 or h3. PUZZLE: For the alternative key line 9.tLle2 'it>f7!? (still 9...tLlge7!? 1 0.'ti'xg7 - Game 85) 1 0.h4 tLlge7+:t see Game 84, Oates-Burg. 9 ... cxd4! 1 O.cxd4 ttJge7

•

i: .t .t. .t. � � 8 .a:

• ,. .t. .t. 8 .t. 8 tt:J � 888 8 j, � j, .a:

The starting position for the modern 'old Winawer' player. 1 1 . ..td2 The main move, a prophylaxis before developing the kingside. � TRICK: l 1 .'i¥xg7 l:!g8 1 2 .°iVh6 1i (12.'fi'xh7 tLlxd4!t and suddenly Black is winning) 1 2 ...tLlxd4! 1 3 .tLlxd4 �c3+ 14.°iVd2 �xal 1 5 . i.bs+ (1 s.c3 'ti'b1 1 6 . ..td3 'iYb6 1 7.0-0 �d7 and Black seems OK) 1 5 ... �d7 16.0-0 �xb5 1 7.tLlxb5 @d7+. A) An interesting line is I l . iL.e2 0-0 12.�h6

1 2 ...'iVas+ (12 ...tLlg6 13.�d2!) 1 3 . �d2! 'i¥a4! 14.c3 tLlaS 1 5.0-0 'ti'e8!? 1 6 . .!::tfbl b6oo Korneev-Moskalenko, Navalmoral 2005; B) l l .nb1 is similar, but in a worse move order: 1 1 ...0-0 12.�h6 'iYas+! 1 3 . �d2 �a4 14.c3 'ti'c2 1 5. l:rcl �e4+ 16.�e2 f4! 1 7.'i¥h4 h6+:t Karjakin­ Ivanchuk, Monaco (rapid) 201 1 . 1 1 ... 0-0! A natural move. More risky is l l ....!::f.g 8?! 12.h4 �d7 1 3 . �d3 h6 14.0-0 'it>f8 1 5 . l:rabl (15.h5!? �e8 16.°iVh4 °iVd7 1 7.\t>h2!± Iglesias-Moskalenko, Canovelles 2001) 15 ... �e8 1 6.c4 �hS 1 7. .i::f.fc l t Calaf Rellver-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2002. 1 2. �d3 i.d7

The key moment in this line. 1 3.h4?! Players with an attacking style prefer this move, but Black will get there first. It was better to continue developing with 13.0-0 �e8!? - see the next game, Alsina Leal-Moskalenko. ,,,.... WEAPON: 1 3 .c;tJfl �e8 (13 .. .f4 14.�xf4 lDf5 1 5 . �xfS .l::txf5�) 14.h4 f4 (14 ... �hS!?) 1 5.°iYg4 (1 5.�xf4 tLlf5�) 15 ... tLlfS+:t Baron Rodriguez-Moskalenko, La Pobla de Lillet 2005.

analysis diagram

1 3.. .14!

28 1

Part Four -WinawerVariation: 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 . tlJc3 �b4 Another surprise.

Now there are many tactical tricks for Black. 1 4. 'ifg4? Allowing another strong blow. � TRICK: The main trick is revealed W after 14.�xf4 lili:d4! 1 5.tlJxd4 (1 5.0-0 tllefS!+ Dolce-CapNemo, playchess.com 2006) (1 5 . �xh7+? @xh7 1 6 .tllxd4 l::t.xf4! 1 7.�xf4 �c3+ 1 8 .@e2 tlJfS! 1 9.tllxfS �bS+!-+) 1 5 ...�c3 + 1 6 .'itie2 �xd4t 1 7. �e3 �a4! 1 8 .l::t.hbl tt:Jfs 1 9.�f4 �xf4 20.�xf4 b6=F Lacasa Diaz-Moskalenko, Barcelona Sants 2003.

1 8.ltJxfS 'ifxe5+! 1 9. �e3 'ifc3+ 19 . . .tlJxfS also wins. 20. @e2 Three years later 20.@dl tl:lxfS 0-1 occurred in Sprangers-Burg, Schijndel 2008. 20... ttJxfS 21 .g4 fxe3 0-1

GAME 83 Daniel Alsina Leal (2441 ) Viktor Moskalenko (2540) Barcelona 2006 (8)

The natural concept 13.0-0 mainly leads to a quiet strategic game. 1 .e4 es 2.d4 d5 3. lbc3 �b4 TRICK: 14.�gS does not work Leonid Kritz (CBM 141): 'The old main either. After 14 ...h6! 1 5.�g4 line. Today the alternative 3 .....4Jf6 is of­ ( 1 5 .�hS �e8 1 6.�g4 tlJxd4!!) ten played.' 4.e5 c5 5.a3 bc3+ 6.bxc3 'ifc7 1 5 ...tt:Jxd4! 16.tllxd4 �xes+ 1 7.@fl �xd4 Black won easily Kritz: 'A sideline, which, however, in the blitz games Barreiro­ requires accurate play from White.' CapNemo and High_me-Cap­ 7. 'ifg4 f5 Nemo, playchess.com 2007. Kritz: '7 ....tlle 7 transposes to the 6 ....tlle 7 variation.' 1 4 ... ttJxd4! 8. 'ifg3 lbc6! The point of Black's counterplay. Kritz: 'Alternatives are 8 ... cxd4 and 1 5. .i.xh7+ 8 ...tl:le7.' Looking for complications, but 9.tbf3 everything is under control. 9.tlle2 - next game. In the event of 1 5 .tllxd4 �xe5+ 9 ... cxd4 1 O.cxd4 tbge7 White cannot play 1 6 .tlJe2 because of Kritz: 'The important difference with 16 ...�xal+. the 8 ....tlle 7 variation is that White can­ 1 5 ... @xh7 1 6. 'ifhS+ @go 1 7.ttJxd4 not take on g7.' l:tf5! 1 1 . .td2 0-0! 1 2 . .td3 .td7 1 3.0-0!? 282

Chapter 20 - The Old Winawer: 4.e5 c5 5.a3 �c3 + 6.bxc3 'iVc7

i. i. . l l tv .i. � l l � l 181 8

� 8� Kritz: 'White has to hide the king, Black has created the threat of f4!' 13 ... .teB!? Kritz: 'Black wants to activate his bad French bishop.' 1 4. l:lab1 If 14.M?! �g6!.

(fl

PLAN: 14.'iYh3 (!?) Kritz : 'First

lir' White keeps the bishop passive.

After that he can play I:!.fcl and c2-c4.' 1 4... �g6 1 5 . .l:tabl 'iYd7 I:!.ac8= Castellanos­ 16.I:l.b3 Moskalenko, Villa Salou 2003. PLAN: 14.1ifh4 �g6 (14...�d7!?) 1 5 .ti:Jg5 ( 1 5 .c4 dxc4 1 6 .gxc4 �d7 1 7.I:!.fdl ti:Jd5= Ruiz-Bruzon Batista, Merida 2013) 1 5 ...�d7 16.a4 h6 1 7.ti:Jh3 f4! 1 8 .ti:Jxf4 gxd3 19.ti:Jxd3 ti:Jf5 20.�g4 ti:Jcxd4:'F Rodriguez Fernandez­ Fernandez Manrique, Tenerife 2009. TRICK: 14.c4?! A simple blunder. 14 . . .dxc4 1 5.i.xc4? (now it looks quite bad. His best chance was 1 5.ti:Jg5 ti:Jd8!) 1 5 . . .ti:Jxd4! Black simply wins a pawn and actu­ ally already the game. 1 6.ti:Jxd4 Smeets-Ponomariov, 'iYxc4+ Wijk aan Zee 201 1 .

1 4 ... .tg6=

The position after the opening is balanced. Alternatively, 14 ...'ti'd7!? 1 5.ti:Jg5 gg6!? 1 6 .c3 f4!?+%

i. ll

i. . tv � l l � l .i. 1 8 t2J 8 l 8 8� � � 888 g g
1 7.�xf4 (1 7.'ti'h3 ti:Jf5!) 1 7...ti:Jf5! 1 8.'iVf3 (1 8 .'ti'g4 ti:Jh6!) 1 8 ...ti:Jfxd4! (1 8 ...ti:Jh4? was a tactical blunder: 1 9.'iVh3! .l::!.x f4 20.�xg6 hxg6 2 1 .g4± Handke-Moskalenko, Barcelona Sams 2005) 1 9.cxd4 .l::i.xf4!=. 1 5. 'it'f4 h6� The rest of the game is quite illustrative. 1 6.c3 .th7 I was planning to shoot with ...g7-g5. 16 ...ti:Ja5!?. 1 7.tt:Je1 l2Ja5 1 8. 'it'g3 'ith8 1 9.f4

i. l l tv

8

i.

• l .i. l

� l 181 8 8 8� °jW 88 � t2J g
A new blocked position in the 'old Winawer'. 1 9... .tg6! The French bishop is coming back. 20.ttJc2 .tea 21 .tt:Je3 a6 22. 'it'f3 Ac6 23. 'ife2 b5! Preparing the c4-square for the knight. 283

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 . ti:ic 3 jt,b4 .

24.h3 ttJc4! 25.ttJc2 �ea 26.�e1 'ifd7 27.@h2 i.g6 The geometrical bishop manoeuvre in this game is fascinating. 28.i.h4 i.h7 28 ... �fc8!?; 28 ...tLlc8!?. 29. i.xe7 'ii'xe7 30.a4 l:r.fb8 31 .axb5 axb5 32. i.xc4 bxc4 33.l:r.a1 g5!? 34. 'fllh5 'ii'g7 35.fxg5 'ifxg5 36. Wxg5 hxg5 37.tllb4 f4!=i=

48.tba6D l:r.xc3 49.l:r.xf2+ @e7 50.ltJc5 i.g6? 50 ... t1e3+:. 51 .l:r.a2 l:r.c2+ 52.l:r.xc2 i.xc2 53.h4!= gxh4 54.'iii>h 3 c3 55. 'iii>xh4 i.h7 56.@hS! c2 57.lllb3 cj;f7 58.'iii> h 6= i.e4 59.ltJc1 i.f3 60.gS �e4 1h-1h GAME 84 Lars Cotes (21 93)

Twan Burg (2342)

Venlo ch·NED jr 2008 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3. ttJc3 i.b4 4.es cs 5.a3 i.xc3+ 6.bxc3 'f//c7 7. 'ii'g4 fS 8. 'ifg3 lllc 6! 9. llle2

Finally, Black achieves serious winning chances (£ vs tLi). But time-trouble spoiled this wonderful game. 38.g3? 38.h4 g4!i. 38 ... l:r.xa 1 ? 38 . . . £e4!+:. 39.l:r.xa1 l:r.f8 40.g4 i.e4! 41 .l:r.a2 'iii>g7 42.l:r.a7+T 'iii>g6 43.l:r.a2 l:r.f7 44.l:a1 ? f3! 45. l:r.f1 f2! 46.'iii>g3 .J:[f3+ 47. 'iii>h 2

:i .t • � ­ ii i i� i � i i 8 i. 8 [i:; � 8 : � Another important alternative in our main line 8 ... tLlc6. The best set-up for Black is: 9... @17! The black king protects g7 and e6. Less good is 9 ... cxd4?! - see the com­ ments to Game 82. 1 0.h4!? IO.£d2 tLlge7 1 1 .�e3 tLias 1 2.tt:Jf4 cxd4 1 3 .cxd4 tt:lc4 14.£xc4 �xc4 1 5.�b4 �d7 16.�xe7 Wxe7= Meneses Gonzalez-Fernandez Manrique, La Laguna 2009. TRICK: 10.tt:lf4 cxd4 1 1 .tLlxdS �aS! ( 1 1 ...exdS?? 1 2 .e6+) !2.tt:lb4 dxc3 1 3.�xc3 �xes+ 14.�xeS tt:lxe5=F.

•

47 ... @f??!T 47... l:!'.xc3! 48 . .l::!.xf2 i::f.b3 49.tLla2 c3 and Black is winning.

2 84

1 o ... ll:lge7 1 1 .hS h6!

Chapter 20 - The Old Winawer: 4.e5 cS 5 .a3 �c3 + 6.bxc3 'iVc7 :?:

12.'ii'd 3 A) 12.dxc5 'i¥xe5 13 . .tf4 '1We4!?+%; B) 12.�d2 .td7 1 3.'iYf3 'iYb6!?+% Simon-Nguyen Chi Minh, France tt 201 0 ; PUZZLE: 12.'iYf4 'iYa5 ( 1 2 ... i.d7!?; 12 ... b6!?; 1 2 ...@e8?! BrkicKuljasevic, Zagreb 2012) 13.�d2 'iVa4+% reminds of the Queen Blues - see next chapter. l 2 ... i.d7 1 3 .g4?!. Burg: 'This looks too ambitious with such poor development. Black has some advantage now.' 1 3 . .l::rb l tLla5+%; 13.�e3 tLla5+%. 1 3 ... :aca?! 1 3 ... fxg4!+ Burg. 1 4.gxfS?

*

14.�h3! Burg. 1 4... tbxfS 1 5 . .if4

Black keeps the initiative until the end, as the white king remains in bad shape. 1 5 ... cxd4 1 5 ...tt:Jce7!+ Burg. 1 6.cxd4 'it'aS+ 1 7. .id2 'ii'a4 1 8.c3 tfJce7 1 9.'ii' b 1 l:tc6 20.tl:Jf4 l:tb6 21 . 'ii'c 1 :ca 22. 'ii'd 1 l:b3 23 . .id3 :Xa3 24.:Xa3 'ii'xa3 25.l:tg1 ? 25 .0-00. 25... :Xc3! 26.hc3 'ii'xc3+ 27. 'ii'd 2 'ii'a 1 + 28. 'it°d1 'ii'xd4 29.ti:Jg6 .ia4 0-1 30 . .ic2 'ii'c3+ GAME 85

Alexander Kovchan (2573) Richard Rapport (2534) Groningen 201 1 (8)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tiJcJ �b4 4.e5 cs 5.a3 hc3+ 6.bxc3 'ii'c7 7. 'ii'g4 f5 8. 'it'g3 lbe7! ?

Dutch IM Twan Burg is a great fan of my books on the Budapest Gambit and the French. Twan kindly sent me the present game with a few notes. He was very happy with the key move 9 . . . Wf7 !

*

PUZZLE: I n comparison with another sharp Winawer line (the 285

Part Four -WinawerVariation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlJc3 �b4 Poisoned Pawn: 7.. /iJe7 8.'iVxg7) , here the black pawn has already advanced to f5.

9. 'ii'xg7

*

PU.ZZLE: Int�restingly, 9. ..\12.d2 0-0 lO.i.d3 ...

8 :tr

after

.i � � 11 l 1 1 8 1. 8 8k � 8k 8 8 8 <;!f {jj l:r

... Black seems to have more options (without ... cxd4) : 1 0 ...tl'ibc6 (10 ...b6) l l .tl'if3 f4!?�.

9 ... l:.g8 1 0. 'ii'x h7 cxd4 With quite dynamic, but still flexible play. Thanks to the pawn on f5 , the white queen has to spend more tempi to return. But the black knight will be slightly passive on g6.

1 1 . tlJe2!? 1 1 .Wdl is the oldest answer.

.i � .t l l 'iV

8 :g

• :i � 'if l 1 8 1. l

8 8 k�

endgame) l 2 .tl'if3 'i¥b6 ! ? (1 2...tl'ibc6 1 3 . I;i'.b l oo Saric-Martemianov, Herceg Novi jr 2005) 13 . ..\12.e3 �b2 1 4J 1c I 'i¥xa3 1 5 . �gS tl'ibc6 1 6 . �b5 �xg5! 1 7.tl'ixg5 'tWb4 and according to the engine all lines are totally balanced

(=). 1 1 ... tl:ibc6 1 2. °ii'h 5+

.i l l 'iV � 8 :g

• .i � l 1 8 1 'if l

8 8 k

{jj 8 8 8 � k :tr

1 2... tl:ig6! 12 ... WdS? is considered worse: 13.�g5!? dxc3 14.f4±.

1 3.f4!? An improvement on the old line: 13 . ..\12.g5?! d3! (13 ...�xe5?! 14.f4 f!Yg7 1 5 .h4!?;t was seen in Anand-Cu.Hansen, Middelfart rapid 2003) 14.cxd3 tl'icxe5 1 5 .'iVh3 f4! 1 6 . illf6 f3� and Black is fighting for the initiative.

1 3 ... dxc3 1 4 . .te3 i.d7

888 k {jj '.tr

analysis diagram

Here, a new weapon could be l l . . . dxc3 (or l l . . . �d7 1 2 .cxd4!? 'i¥c3 13 . .l:rbl !? illa4 1 4.'i¥h5 + tl'ig6! l 5 .'i¥e2 'i¥xd4+ 1 6 .'i¥d2 'iVxd2+ l 7.ili.xd2 tl'ixe5 1 8 . .l::!.x b7 tl'ibc6 with an unbalanced 286

Perhaps the critical moment in this com­ plex line (after 1 1 .tl'ie2). There are still many resources in the position.

1 5.tl:id4!? A) 1 5 . �dl 'iVa5�;

Chapter 20 - The Old Winawer: 4.e5 cS 5.a3 �d + 6.bxd 'i:Vc7 B) 1 S.'li:Vf3 0-0-0 (1 5 ...d4!?) 1 6.'li:Vf2 (16.t1d l !?; 1 6 .�f2 d4! Barletta-Stenel, Bois Colombes 2003) 16 ...d4!

i

•E i 'ifi.

8 l:I

E

4i

i 4i 8i i 8 i Jl, 8 Cjj 'if 8 8 @ Jl, l:i.

analysis diagram

1 7.lllxd4? (1 7. �xd4D lllxd4 1 8.'i:Vxd4 �bS+±) 1 7...lllxd4 1 8 . .2.xd4 TRICK: 1 8 ...lllx f4!=F Hostinsky­ Kacirek, Czechia tt 2002. 15 ... liJxd4 1 5...0-0-0!? with the idea of 1 6 .lllb S 'ifaS 1 7.llld 6+ @b8 and Black is better because of ... dS-d4. 1 6. hd4

•

.

The talented young Hungarian GM Richard Rapport is well-kown as a dangerous hunter in rare lines and openings

• .i i i 'if 4i

i. 8 II

Jl, 8

K

i 8i i 8

8

'if 8 @ Jl. M

21 . .tb2 'ii'aS+ 22. 'Wd2 'ifd5 23.0-0-0?? 23.l:ih3oo. Now 23 ...�a2 ! is winning. 23 ... �bB? 24. 'iti>bl J:ld7 25.J:lh3 .J:.c7 26. J:lc1 J:lgcB 27.c4 dxc3 28. 'ii'x dS cxb2 1 6 ... 0-0-0

� TRICK: 1 6 ... .ia4!? 1 7.�d3 'iff7 lii 1 8.0-0 lllx eS+±. 1 7. 'ii'f3 1 7.g3 @b8 (1 7...llle 7!?) 1 8.'i!Vf3 .l:f.c8 l 9.�e3 'lWaSoo Zawadzka-Maciol, Polanica Zdroj 2005. 1 7... .ia4 1 8.'it'f2 �7 1 8 ...iVaS!?. 1 9.h4 ttJc6 20 . .txc3 20 . .tI.h3 @b8 2 1 . .l:f.xc3 �aS+±. 20 ...d4!

29.lbc6!+- J:lxc6 30. 'irxc6 :.Xc6

287

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tbc3 £.b4 31 . i..d 3 rlc1 + 32. c;t;>xb2 llg1 33.l:[h2 lld1 34.@c3 :c1 + 35.@d2 .Iles 36.hS �c7 37.h6 llhS 3S.g4 fxg4 39.h7 �es 40.llh4 �de 41 . :Xg4 �f7 42. l:[g7 �e8 43.�g6 Black resigned. A typical 'poisoned' game - you never know who will make the last mistake!

� WEAPON: So, Black should try the principled 9 ... cxd4!? 1 0.cxd4 °ifc3+ 1 1 . £.d2 �xd4 1 2.tl'if3 °ifa4!?

GAM E 86

Emil Sutovsky (2666) Viktor Moskalenko (2552) Evry 2004 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.ttJc3 i..b4 4.es cs 5.a3 hc3+ 6.bxc3 'fic7 7. 'fig4 f5 S.'fih5+!?

.I �" ..t i i 'ii'

8 a:

•

" _i ii

i 1 i 8 i Vi' 8 8 8 �88 � � � tLi a:

A strategic check, and the main alterna­ tive to 8.'iYg3. s ...g6 A) 8 ...Wf8 looks a bit passive, but has never been refuted; B) The alternative is the safest op­ tion 8 ...'ti'f7!?. For example, 9.'iYxf7+ (9.'iYdl!? 'ti'c7 with a complex game, without the weakening ...g7-g6) 9 ...@xf7 10.tl'if3 cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 h6!?=; the end­ game is balanced here. 9. 'fid1 i..d7?! This is the main move in this line. How­ ever, after this Black's position will re­ main quite passive, while White has many interesting options to fight for the initiative. 288

analysis diagram

13 . .£d3 (13.h4 h6!; 13 .l:!.bl a6D) 1 3 ...b6 14.'iYe2 .2.a6 1 5.0-0 gxd3 16.cxd3 and before playing ...tl'ig8-e7 or anything else, Black should include the prophy­ lactic move 1 6 ... h6! (16 ...tl'ie7 1 7. .£g5� Novak-Rehurek, Czechia tt 2006/07) 1 7. .!::f.fcl (White can play 1 7. gb4 now or later, but it is the same after 1 7...tl'ic6 etc.)

.I � i i

� 8 a:

•

� .I

i ii i � i· 8 tLi � V/1 8 8 8 a: � analysis diagram

1 7...tl'ic6 1 8.h4 tl'ige7 - here the game is balanced, since White has some compensation for the pawn, but the position is closed; B) But not 9 ... b6?! 1 0.h4 (10.tl'if3 cxd4 1 1 .cxd4 .£a6 1 2 . gd3 .£xd3 1 3.cxd3;;!;; Landa-Braun, Germany Bundesliga 2007/08) 1 0 ... h6 ! 1 .tl'ie2 cxd4 1 2.cxd4 tl'ie7 1 3.�h3 .£a6 14.tl'if4 Wf7 1 s . gxa6 tl'ixa6 1 6.a4 tl'ic6 1 7.tl'ixg6! 1 - 0 Vallejo

Chapter 20 - The Old Winawer: 4.e5 cS 5 .a3 �c3 + 6.bxc3 �c7 Pons-Valmana Canto, Palma de Mallorca ch-ESP 2009. 1 O. tllf3 A) Judit Polgar's 10.�d3 (see the game in the picture below) is less good: 10 ... �a4 1 1 ..l:ibl tbc6 1 2.dxc5 0-0-0 (12 ...tbxe5!?) 1 3 .�f4 h6 14.h4 tlJf6!

*K l l 'iV a la11 181 � 8 .t 8 8 Ji 8 88 !:t: iV w t2J !:t: analysis diagram

1 5 .tbe2?! (1 5.exf6 �xf4�) 1 5 ... tbe4+, J. Polgar-Simon, Barcelona simul 2007; B) Or 10.a4?! tbc6 (10 ... cxd4!?) l I .tbe2 tba5 1 2.M h6 1 3.tlJf4 tbe7 14.�b5 @f7 1 5.0-0 �xb5 16.axb5 tbc4 V2-V2 Volokitin-P.Nikolic, Celje tt 2004. 1 0... cxd4?! The main idea is 10 ... �a4!? l l .�d3?! (unfortunately, White has better moves: l I ..ri.a2!? or l l . �e2!? cxd4 1 2.cxd4!) 1 1 ... cxd4 1 2.cxd4 �c3+ 1 3 . �d2 �xd3 !

M y companion from the historical Tcrrassa chess club, FM Emilio Simon, was the only player to use the French De­ fence against judit and also the only one to win his game.

(the key) 14.cxd3 �xdl 1 5.\t>xdl with equality. 1 1 .cxd4 �a4 1 2. �d2!

1 2 ... hG 1 3.�d3 tllc6 1 4.0-0 Quite similar is 1 4.h4!? Wf7 1 5 .�cl t:lc8 1 6.0-0 Wg7 (16 ...b5!?) (16 ... a6!?) 1 7.c4t Kamsky-Moskalenko, blitz play­ chess.com 2005. 1 4... tllge7 1 5.h4 'iti>f7 1 6.'it'c1 @g7 1 7.l:.b1 1 7.c4 �b3!?. 1 7 ... aG 1 8.c4 'it'd7 1 9.cS tlld 8 1 9 ... �b5!?. 20.hS This break was not necessary. White could still play on the other side: 20 . .l:ib4!? �b5 2 1 . �xb5 axb5 22.°i¥b2±. 20 ...gS

a � tv a • l l 818118 .t 8 8 � ttJ Ji 8 8 !:t: iV !:t: w 21 .l:bG! ? 2 1 . �xg5 hxg5 22.'1i'xg5+ Wf8 23.�f6+ Wg8 looks to be no more than a draw. 21 ... �cG?T After this move White can win in the attack. Instead, the game got out of hand

289

Part Four -Winawer Variation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tbc3 �b4 due to great mutual zeitnot. 2 2 1 ...�e8!?; 21 ...tlle c6!?. 22. lbh2? 22.Ji.xgS !-+. 22 ... lLif7? 22 ... £.bS!. 23.f4 .tiage 23 ...g4 24. .2.el ±. 24.fxgS lbxgS? 24... hxgSD. 25.lbg4 25.£.xgS!? hxgS 26.tllg4+-. 25 ... tt:'ie4 26. he4? 26.tllx h6! tllxd2 2 7.tllxg8+-. 26 ... dxe4 27. .ilxh6+? 27.tllx h6=. 27... cJilf7 28.lbf6 'it'xd4+ 29. i.e3 'it'xeS 30. ltJxgB :Xge+

Now Black is better. However, both players are tired of the battle, and they

make several mistakes. In situations like that the last lapse is decisive. 31 . 'it'b2 'it'xb2 32.:Xb2 liJdS? 32 ... eS!+:. 33. i.d4 l:tg5 34. l:tfb1 eS! 34 .. Jhhs 35 . .!d.xb7+ £.xb7 36 . .!d.xb7+ @es 37.c6=. 35. hes :Xhs 36.:Xb7+ hb7 37.lbb7+ @e6 38. i..d 4? 38.£.d6 f4+. 38 ...f4? 3 8 ... e3! 39. .l:f.a7 l:i.h4+. 39 . .tia7 e3 40.:Xa6+ �fS 41 . l:a4?? 41 .c6D.

41 ... tbe7?? 41....!d.h6!+:. 42 . .ilxe3 liJdS 42 ... fxe3 43 .g4+. 43 . .ild2+and Black soon lost the game.

Summary 6 VJ/ic7 7. 'ifg4 fS: Obviously, Black has plenty of hidden resources in the 'old Winawer'. Therefore, this system can serve as a useful weapon in the repertoire of any 'French' player. ...

290

Chapter 21

-

Black Queen Blues ( Portisch/Hook Variation}

'The Queen sortie was Bill Hook's specialty. Black wants to assume control of the light squares, playing... b7-b6 and exchanging the bishops with ... �c8-a6' - GM Lubornir Kavalek in Huffington Post (May 26, 2010). Dedicated to Bill Hook ( 1 92S-20 1 0) 'He was a wonderful artist and the kindest of men. Bill Hook played the top board for the British Virgin Islands team at 1 7 Chess Olympiads. In 1970 in Siegen, Germany, he used his beloved queen manoeuvre against Bobby Fischer and easily equalized the game. Bill Hook died on May 1 0 , in his home in Silver Spring, Maryland. He would have turned 85 tomorrow.' Eulogy by GM Lubomir Kavalek (ChessBase.com).

The 'Blues Hook' 1 2 .. �a6 after I O.c4 was developed by the number one player from the British Virgin Islands. William Hook, against none other than Bobby Fischer.

Directions 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.4Jc3 �b4 4.eS cS S.a3 �xc3+ 6.bxc3 �as 7.�d2 �a4 (1 067 games=44.5%) And the modest sub-line 7.�d2 (64 games=57.8%, see Game 87) Our last chapter of this Part is an elaborated update of the recently very popular modern set-up 'The Black Queen Blues', described as follows in my book The Flexible French: 'The black queen manoeuvre 6 ...�a5/7...�a4 undoubtedly offers a game full of creativity, with positions rich in resources and difficult to understand because of their complexity.'

29 1

Part Four - WinawerVariation: l .e4 e6

2.d4 d5 3 . tt:Jc3 �b4

Black creates imbalances and winning chances in many lines. The arising positions are of a more strategic nature, so a proper understanding of the typical plans will be more practical than the help of an engine. For Winawer fans this can be an important alternative to the usual move 6 ... 0£7, where often the continuation 7. �g4! gives White a long-term initiative, as we have seen in Chapters 6- 1 0 from my book TheWonderfu!Winawer. --=:.-

The author's statistics with black in the period 2006-2010 are: total 20 games=14 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses. Performance=267 1 .

Games 8 7-9 1 Anti-Blues - 8.�bl : Games 87 and 88. Super Blues - 8 �g4 g6: Game 89, and 8.'iVg4 �f8: Game 90. The attacking move 8/9.h4: Game 9 1 . •

•

.

•

Three Plans Basically, in the opening phase Black has three main ideas. Any 'blues player' must know them and know how to combine them: 1) Exchanging the light-squared bishops, using the strategic set-up with ... b7-b6 and ... �a6 - see the examples in Games 89-91 . 2) Pressure on the centre, attacking the d4-pawn. White can sacrifice this pawn, looking for an initiative, as in the Main Game, no. 9 1 .

�

Keep in Mind: This aggressive concept is also connected to Kasparov's gambit, discussed in The Wonderful Winawer, Game 14 (Winawer with 7.h4) and Game 2 1 (7.�g4 Wf8 8.h4). However, the flexible Blues Variation allows Black to use a favourable move order, playing ...tLlc6 instead of ... CiJe7, or some other move. To avoid any complications, there is the following plan for strategic players: 3) The most attractive and universal plan for Black is to prepare queenside castling, which is possible only after the centre-blocking move ... c5-c4. Black follows up with ... CiJc6, ... �d7 and ... 0-0-0. Then he starts a counterattack on the kingside with his pawns (.. .f7-f6, ... h7-h6, ... g7-g5) - the white king will be a target! During the early opening phase it is better to keep the g8-knight on its original square: both to protect the dark squares and to be able to counterattack with .. .f7-f6, exf6 CiJxf6!?. GAMES 8 7 and 88 - Anti-Blues • 8.iYbl (57 1 games=58.8%. In the year 2008 the result was 292 games=59.4%) The sub-line 8 . .i::!.b l (see Game 87) After 8.�bl , the threat of 9.�b5+ prevents the classical plan with ...b7-b6 and ... �a6. In this case Black blocks the centre with 8 . c4, forcing the white queen to lose time getting reactivated. •

..

292

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 ... 'iVaS; 7 ... iVa4

It is clear that the closed positions created with ... c5-c4 offer White a space advan­ tage. But the downside is that it will cost him time to bring his pieces into play. The middlegame is very rich in possibilities for both sides. To be successful, just follow plan number 3!

Porkin-Moskalenko, Tenerife 2008

293

Part Four -Winawcr Variation:

l .e4 e6

2 .d4 d5 3 . tZX3 �b4

Queen Rock on the Atlantic: The Lines 9.lt:Je2 / 9 . tbh3 /9.ffi

Both armies continue their develop­ ment, preparing actions on the kingside. The following rapid game was com­ mented on in my book Revolutionize Your Chess to show the chances offered when Black uses all 5 Touchstones (Material, Development, Placement of Pieces and Pawns, King Position, and Time) in the French Defence. Below is a theoretical update of this line, where Black makes good use of all the dynamic factors of this set-up.

Goh Wei Ming comments on Chesspub­ lishing: 'With simple developing moves, Moskalenko has built a powerful posi­ tion that was ideal to play for the win. The way he created play so quickly on the queenside for the rest of the game is highly instructive': 1 3 .ifJd4?! b6! 14.�a3 (14.ifJbS 'iYxes+ 1 5 .1i'xe5 ifJcxeS+) 14 ... bxc5 1 5.�xcS .!:i.fb8!:+ Massoni­ Moskalenko, Barbera del Valles 2009. 7 ... 'ti'a4

E • ..t ii

GAM E 87

Vladimir Potkin (261 6) Viktor Moskalenko (2568) Tenerife (rapid) 2008 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.�3 i.b4 4.e5 cs 5.a3 .i.xc3+ 6.bxc3 'ifa5! If this move is useful in many lines of the main Winawer, why not play it now? KEEP IN MIND: The old Winawer move 6 ...'i¥c7 has many resources! After 7.'i¥g4, 7.. .fS! is the key defence of the g7-pawn. See Game 82. 7 .i.d2 7.'i¥d2?! is the only other reasonable way to defend the c3-pawn, but such a move is too passive: 7...ifJc6 8 .ifJf3 ifJge7 9.a4 �d7 1 0.dxcS 'i¥c7 1 1 .'iYgs ifJg6 12 . .l:r.bl 0-0.

Lt .

analysis diagram

294

'iV 8 J::l'.

•

• .1 iii

i ii8 • 8 8 8 ii 8 8 8 iV � ii ttJ J::l'.

We are in the Black Queen Blues Varia­ tion. In this modern line, Black uses the great power of his queen. In this posi­ tion the most popular continuation is: 8. 'i!Vb1 With this manoeuvre, White threatens �b5+ and practically forces Black to close the position. ,,,.,,_ WEAPON: 8 . .1::!.b l is a quite similar concept (36 games=58. 3%): 8 ...c4 9.'iVcl ifJc6. Here are some pos­ sible schemes. Black must choose between close combat or the im­ mediate ... f7-f6: A) IO.ifJf3 ifJge7 l l .g3 b6 1 2 . �g2 �d7 1 3 .0-0 h6 H.ne 1 0-0-0 1 s . .!::i.e 2 ifJfs 1 6.h4 l:tdg8= De Firmian-Rustemov, Copenhagen 200 1 ; B) 10.�e2 f6 I I .ifJf3 b 6 (1 1 ...fxeS!?) 1 2 .�f4 �d7 13.M 0-0-0 14.hS .!:r.f8 1 5 .Wfl �e8 1 6 . .!:r.h3 ifJge7 1 7.Wgl .!:r.hg8= Ivanchuk-Socko, Heraklio Ech-tt 2007;

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . . �a5; 7 . . . �a4

C) 10.tLle2 f6!? l l .exf6 tLlxf6 12.tLlg3 0-0 1 3 . �e2 b6 14.0-0 �d7 1 5 . .l::!.e l 1/2-1/i Moreno Carnero-Pogorelov, Dos Hermanas B 2003; D) 1 0.h4 b6 l l .h5 �d7!? (1 1 ...h6!) 1 2.tLlf3 (1 2.h6 tLlxh6 13.�xh6 gxh6 14. .l::!.xh6 0-0-0=) 1 2...0-0-0 13.�e2 h6 14.Wfl .l::!.f8 1 5 . .l::th 3 tLlge7= T.Kosintseva1.Rajlich, Heraklio Ech-tt 2007. 8 .. c4! The two white bishops are temporarily out of play. This is how typical games in this line begin. 9.ltJe2!? A flexible move - White will take the knight to f4 and h5, provoking Black to weaken his structure with ...g7-g6. 9.tLlh3 has the same idea and usually transposes. 9.tLlf3 is obviously a worse placement for the knight: 9...tLlc6 1 0.g3 (10.h4 is similar to the next game, where the best continuation is 10 ... �d7 l l .h5 h6 etc.) 1 0 ... �d7 1 l . �g2 (1 1 . �h3 0-0-0 1 2.0-0 h6 1 3.tLlh4 g5 14.tLlg2 f5+ Deszczynski­ M.Socko, Grodzisk Mazowiecki 2007) 1 1 ...0-0-0 (1 1 ...h6!?, avoiding tLlg5) 1 2 .tLlg5 .l::!.f8 1 3 .0-0 h6 14.tLlh3 g5 1 5.f3 f6! with excellent counterplay, as in the game Timman-Vaganian, Bazna 2007. 9 ... ltJc6! In recent years this seemed to me to be the best set-up. The alternative is the clas­ sical French break 9.. .f6 10.exf6 tLlxf6. .

.i ii

Black can achieve a solid position, but it is difficult for him to get active counterplay: l l .g3 tLlc6 (1 1 ...�d7!?, to improve the queen first: 1 2. �g2 tLlc6 1 3 .0-0 0-0= Vehi Bach-Moskalenko, L'Estartit Open 2007) 1 2 . �g2 b6 1 3.0-0 �d7 14.�b2 0-0 15 . .l::t.a el .l::!.a e8= Yakovenko-Morozevich, Krasnoyarsk ch-RUS 2003. 1 0.l!Jf4 �d7!

•

.i ii �

.t

� .i iii

i i8 'iV i 8 t2J 8 8 8� 8 8 8 � � .s .S iY Preparing queenside castling, followed by .. .f7-f6, when Black will start actions in the centre and on the kingside. 1 1 .g3 White opts for the fianchetto. A) l l .°iYxb7 is not dangerous, viz.: 1 1 ...�b8 1 2 .'ti'c7 �xc2! 1 3 .ld'.cl ld'.blt; B) As I wrote in The Flexible French, after 1 l .tLlh5 g6 the knight must go back. And if we compare this with the main game, Black gains a few extra tempi: Bl) 12.tLlg3 is possibly dubious as on g3 the knight has limited scope: 12...0-0-0 13.�e2 f6 14.exf6 tLlxf6 1 5 .0-0.

.t. .t. 8 8 t::, j)}Jjj 8 !'::, 8 g 'iV � .s

.i • !. i i .t .t. � i�i .t. if i 8 t2J 8 8 8 �� 8 8 8 � Vi' :tr �

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

• 'iH 8

.t. �·

295

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tLJc3 �b4 Surely, after he has castled queenside Black has some winning chances in this 'blues line': 1 5 ... h5!? 1 6.h4 �as (another plan is to prepare the advance ... e6-e5 with 16 ... .l:!:de8!? 1 7.�f4 '1Wa5 1 8 .'1Wb2 e5 l 9.dxe5 tt:Jxe5 20.:fe1 'iVc7!?�) 1 7.�g5 .:.df8 1 8 .'1Wb2 llJh7 (18 ... .l:!:f7!?) ! 9.gh6 .l:f.f7 20 . .l:f.abl '1Wc7=F (obviously Black has the better idea of what to do in this po­ sition ...) 21 .f4?! b6 22 . .l:Ibel tt:Jf6 23.Ag5 llJh7 H.�h6 't!Hd8!:+ Yakovenko-Zhang Pengxiang, Taiyuan 2006; B2) But the retreat 12.tlJf4 blocks the dark-squared bishop: 12...0-0-0 13.g3 f6! 14.exf6 llJxf6 1 5.�g2 e5!? and Black obtained promising piece play in Solleveld­ P.Nikolic, Netherlands tt 2008/09 1 5 ... tt:Je+!t was also a good idea; B3) After 1 2.tlJf6+ tLlxf6 1 3.exf6 0-0-0! 14.�e2 e5! 1 5.dxe5 Black's position is very solid, Nijboer-Visser, Hilversum ch­ NED 2008. The simplest is 1 5 ...tLlxe5+ followed by ... l:ihe8 and ... �f5. TRICK: 1 2 .tLlg7+? loses the knight: 1 2 ...Wf8 1 3 .'iVxb7 l:i.d8-+. 1 1 ... 0-0-0

W

•E ,. E .t i i i ,. i i8 i 8 0i 8 8 8 Yl. 8 8 .: iY � Yi, .:

A) The dynamic l 2.h4!? f6! 1 3 . �h3 .l:f.e8 14.exf6 tbxf6 1 5 .0-0 't!Ha5 (1 5 ... e5!? 16.�xd7+ tLlxd7 1 7.tLlxd5 exd4) 1 6 .'ii'd l .l::t.e 7! (16 ... eS!?<=! Felgaer-Moskalenko. Benidorm Masters 2008) 1 7. .t:f.el .l:f.he81 and Black is ready for... e6-e5!; B) More static is 1 2 . �h3 g6 (or 1 2 ... h5!? 1 3.0-0 tLlge7 14.'iVb2 h4 1 5.�g4 .i::f.h 7 1 6.<;t>g2 .l:f.dh8 1 7.:i.hl tLld8 1 8 . .l:f.ael fS 1 9.exf6 gxf6 20.h3 hxg3 2 1 .fxg3 eS! Cuadras Avellana-Moskalenko, Figueres 2009) 1 3.0-0 h6!? 14.�cl .l:i.f8 1 5.�g2 g5!? 1 6.llJh5 f5! 1 7.exf6 tt:lxf6 1 8 .tt:lxf6 .l:f.xf6 1 9.f4 g4 20.fS!? exfS 2 1 . �xdS tLle7 22.�g2 �c6= Vehi Bach-Moskalenko, L'Estartit 2008/09. 1 2 ... f6! The typical French breakthrough, attacking the centre and helping Black to obtain counterplay. 1 3.exf6 tbxf6! 1 4.0-0

ii

ti:.

ii

Black has completed his opening set-up and his army is ready for action on the kingside. This is a typical position for many 'Blues' lines (not dependent upon White's set-up). 1 2. i.g2 The most natural development. There are two interesting recently-played alternatives: 296

*E ii .t ,. i ,. i i8 8 Yl.

.: iY We are in the modern Winawer pawn structure. Contrary to the Warsaw Var­ iation 7.f4 0-0, explained in Chapter 9 of my other French book, The Wonderful Winawer, the black king is now very safe on the queenside. So let's make use of this difference: 1 4 ... g5! 1 5.lt:ie2 h6 1 6. 'ifb2 i.e8 Aiming to activate the bishop with ... �g6. 16 ...llJe7 was also interesting: 1 7. .l:f.abl �c6. Or the straightforward 16 ... tLle4!?. 1 7.f4 A signal for Black to attack. With this advance, the strategic plans are

Chapter 2 1 - Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . 'i:VaS; 7 . . . 'i:Va4.

concluded and dynamic play starts, with some great tactics. The fight begins! Inserting 1 7. .l:Iabl was possible: 1 7... b6 1 8.f4- tl:Je4-!� is similar to the game.

1 7 ... lbe4! There is no time for passive moves: 1 7... g4-? 1 8.fS!t. 1 8. �xe4 A very risky trade from a strategic point of view, weakening the light squares on the kingside. However, White decided not to lose tempi for his own attack. If 1 8 . .2.e3 .2.hs 1 9.nael �a5 or 19 ... l:rhg8 with satisfactory counterplay. 1 8 ... dxe4 1 9.fxg5 ltJeS!t

The posltlon is highly unbalanced, but Black can use the time factor as a dynamic advantage. So I played: 23... eS! A new resource, with the idea to divert the white rook and to sacrifice two pawns. I did not like 23 ... .l::f.d 6oo because it loses speed for the attack. 24 . .:Xes f2+! 25. 'iti>xf2 'ifh1 ! This does not look like 'Queen Blues' more like 'Queen Rock' ! Remarkably, quite recently the queen was still inactive on a4-. Now the queen on hl ensures the success of Black's petite combinaison. The white king is defenceless. 26.�e1 �c6 27. 'ii'b 4! Trying to activate his own queen, but it is too late. 27... llheB!--+ Mobilizing all the pieces. 27...�f3+!? 28.Wgl .l:Ihf8! 29.dS (only move) 29 ... .ti.xf4-! 30.gxf4- &ds 3 1 .�dS .2.xdS 32.�f8+ Wd7!-+ is the engine's solution. 28. 'ii'xc4 .:Xe5 29.dxe5 'iff3+ 30. Q;lg1

Another knight enters the play. This is an unexpected and remarkable manoeuvre that changes the course of the game. 20.lt:Jf4 20.dxeS .l:Ixd2 2 1 .tlJd4 hxgSD. 20... 'ifcS! First improving the queen. 20 ...tl:Jf3+!?. 21 .g6 If 2 1 .gxh6 .l:Ixh6, with attack. 21 ... lt:Jf3+ 22. .:Xf3 exf3 23.lle1 297

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tt:lc3 �b4 The decisive moment of the game has arrived ... but I played ... 30. .. 'irh1 + .. . and agreed a draw here since I had only one minute left - the usual prob­ lem with rapid games. A pity, since after 30 ... .i:;i,dl ! the only 'defence' is 3 1 .'li'e2 (3 1 .�fl �e3+) 31 ...�xe2 32.tllxe2 .!:1xel+ 33 .Wf2 .ll.d l 34.tlld4 lile4 35.g7 lilh7-+. I should have won quite easily.

Quick Catastrophe (Sarcophagus Blues) : 9.h4 and the sub-line 9.f4

l � .t j, j,

•

With the popular advance 9.h4 White is going to attack on the kingside, first using his pawns. Curiously enough, after Black's queenside castling White's plan can lead to quick catastrophe! On the way several dogmas may be dis­ mantled: the direct break 9.. .f6?! is an out-of­ date, mistaken idea here; after White's advance 1 0 .h5 the block with 10 ... h6 is OK, but not forced!; the g8-knight can wait with develop­ ment, keeping the possibility .. .f7-f6, exf6 tllx f6 . •

•

•

GAME 88

Kutwal Shashikant (2290) Thomas Luther (2541 ) Mumbai 2010 (7)

1 .e4 es 2.d4 dS 3.lllc3 .ib4 4.es cs 5.a3 .ixc3+ 6.bxc3 'it'aS 7 . .id2 'it'a4 8. 'it'b1 c4

298

A popular position in the Blues Varia­ tion. I feel that the game is balanced. 9.h4 The most direct approach: using the motif of the closed centre White starts a flank attack. Just as in the previous game, there are two main counterplans for Black. ,,,._ WEAPON: 9.f4 (this move some­ how limits the activity of White's dark-squared bishop) 9...tlle 7 (Black can also keep the knight on g8 and play 9...tllc 6!? with the idea 10.00 �d7 1 1 .g3 f5!? 12.exf6 and nm 12 ...tllxf6!? 13.�h3 tlle4 14.0-0 0-0-0 15.�b2 h6+:t preparing ... g7g5, Escobar Forero-Narciso Dublan, Badalona 2005) 10.tllf3 tllbc6 1 1 .g3 �d7 12.�h3 0-0-0 13.0-0 f5!? 14.exf6 gxf6 15.fS tllxfs 16.hfs exfS 1 7.tllh4 .l:llie 8 18.�dl tlle 7 19.�h6 f4!i and Black's pieces are more active, Przybylski­ Moskalenko, Banyoles 2007.

� TRICK: 20 . .l:Ixf4? tllg 8! 2 1 . �g7 11 .l:Ie3+. 9 ... tl:ic6!? A natural reply, preparing standard plan number 3 : queenside castling. The second counterplan is the premature break 9 .. .f6?!. This was my old dogmatic concept, adhering to the classical rule of starting a central action versus a flank attack. Unfortunately, it is an impor­ tant strategic mistake here. The position will remain static, which is in White's favour: A) Continuing the advance with 1 0.hS?! is a really bad idea now: 1 0 ... fxe5 1 1 .h6? tllx h6 12. �xh6 gxh6 13 .dxeS 1 3 .�cl ? tllc 6+ Corrales Jimenez­ Moskalenko, Sitges 2007. 1 3 ...tll c 6+ 14.tll f3 �a5i and Black is clearly better, Picanol Alamany-Moskalenko, Catalunya Team Championship 2009;

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 ... �aS; 7 . . . iVa4

B) But 10.ti:Jf3! ti:Jc6 l l .�f4! is a very strong counter-argument, definitively improving White's worst piece.

:I .i. ii �

•

ii i8 i 8 ii. 8 8 ttJ 8 88 � ii. :=: :=: � analysis diagram

1 1 ...'iYaS!?. Trying some tactics against the opponent's strategic pressure: 12.'iYb2 fxeS 1 3 .ttJxeS!. TRICK: My main counter-idea was 13 ...lt:Jxd4?! but it does not work well due to 14.�xc4! tt:Je7 (14 ... dxc4? 1 5 .tt:Jxc4+-) 1 5 .0-0;!;; and Black is too passive. 13 ...tt:Jge7 14.tt:Jxc6 tt:Jxc6 1 5 . �d6!?. We are again in the modern Winawer structure. White has a mini-advantage, but he can conserve it for a long time, improving on and on for the next 1 00 moves - so Black is losing, Corrales Jirnenez-Moskalenko, Sams 2007. KEEP IN MIND: Therefore White's early advance 9.h4 is a tricky option, which provokes the premature break 9 .. .f6?!. 1 0.h5

t(

Lt

I. .i. ii �

•

� I. iii

i i8 i8 8 8 ii. 8 8 � ii. ttJ :=: .:t if

The next key moment: the block. 1 0 ... h6!? This leads to the well-known 'sarcophagus' structure - where in my opinion the queen on a4 is a better blocker than the bishop! Curiously, this is not the only move. Black can allow the push h5-h6 and play 1 0 ... £.d7!? aiming for an advantage in development: TRICK: After l 1 .h6?! tt:Jxh6! forces White to exchange his powerful bishop: 1 2 . �xh6 gxh6+ 13.�xh6? �as 14.�b2 lt:Jxd4+. l l .ti:Jf3 0-0-0!? (1 1 ...h6 leads to the main game) 12.�e2 (12.g3 f6!? is OK, for example: 1 3 . �h3 l:if8� Sutovsky­ Vaganian, Kerner tt 2007) 1 2 ... l:if8 1 3 .�f4 f6! 14.'l!Wb2 tt:Jge7 1 5 . l:ibl b6= Flyingfatrnan-Rajlich, Playchess.corn 2007.

f('

I. .i. ii �

i i8 i8 8 8 ii. 8 8 � ii. tt:J :&i :=: � 1 1 . .i.e2 White makes a neutral developing move. There are several creative alternatives:

/fl"'- WEAPON: An obvious, pop­ ular alternative is the rook lift l 1 .�h4. White wants to probe the kingside. This idea also features in Game 9 1 , and was already analysed in lines with h2-h4 in previous chapters. I l ...ti:Jge7! (now it's best to move the g8knight) 12 . .l:i.g4 l:tg8 (12 ...ti:Jfs is natural. Perhaps White's best idea then is 1 3.ti:Jf3 �d7 14 . .l:if4, intending g2-g4) 1 3 . .l:if4 299

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tt:Jc3 �b4 .2.d7 14.tllf3 0-0-0! (actually the f-pawn needs no defence. 14 ... l:!'.f8 1 5 .g3 0-0-0 is also strong, Hamdouchi-Housieaux, Guingamp 2010). Now: TRICK: 1 5 .nxf??! �e8 16.nf4 �xh5+ merely activates Black's bishop. 1 5 .g3 .i:tdf8 16.iilh3 @b8 1 7.'iUdl iilc8 1 8 .@fl @a8 1 9.@gl tllfs 20.tllM tllce7.

,..... WEAPON: l l .g3 .iild 7 1 2.�h3 12 ... tllg e7 (12 .. .f6!?) 1 3 .'i¥b2 0-0-0 14.f4 g6!? (I like 14 ... f6!? 1 5.tllf3 'it>b8 16.0-0 fS!? followed by... iile8, attacking the h5pawn) 1 5 .tllf3?! (15.hxg6 fxg6 1 6 .tllf3 ndg8� with complex play, but I don't think Black is worse here) 1 5 ... gxhS! (this is logical and effective. 1 S ... b8 is equal, Riff-Berry, Cappelle la Grande 2009) 1 6.@f2 l:tdg8=F. White can never touch the hS-pawn because if the h3-bishop retreats, Black has ...tllf5!.

,,,,,_.. WEAPON: 1 1 .g4 is another ad­

These positions tend to be very solid and White is obviously running out of ideas. His next move gives Black the opportunity that he has been waiting for: 2 1 .tllg2?! (21 .tllxfS tllxf5 22.iilxfS= might have been a wiser option) 2 1 ...gS! Goh Wei Ming wrote on Chesspublishing about this game: 'With all of Black's pieces optimally placed, this pawn thrust carries quite a bit of punch. In general, Black should be playing for this par­ ticular idea whenever White plays h2h4-h5.' 22.hxg6 fxg6 23.g4 gs 24.l:tf3 hS!t Al Modiahki-Toufighi, Subic Bay 2009: a great game by Toufighi against a very strong opponent. It served as a good advertisement for the system. I think I have shown that Black is completely fine against White's plan of 8.'ifbl and 9.h4. The Iranian IM is a young fighter. He is also a huge French Defence fan and has many different lines in his repertoire. He made Al Modiahki face some stub­ born resistance. 300

vance which looks aggressive but is hardly dangerous for Black. l l ...�d7 1 2 . �h3 0-0-0 1 3 .tlle 2 tllg e7 (1 3 .. .f6!?) 14 . .2.e3 (14.0-0?! ndg8� Klimov-Gorovykh, St Petersburg ch­ city 2009. I prefer the direct 14 .. .f6!?) 14 ... ndf8 1 5.@d2 (intended to find a safe place for the white king, but we are not in Warsaw structures here) 1 5 .. .f6! 1 6.f4 f5!? 1 7.'iYgl fxg4 18 . .2.xg4 nhg8 l 9.tllg3 g6! with dangerous counterplay, Bacrot-Eingorn, France tt 2007.

,.._ WEAPON: l I .tllf3 is the universal move. l I ...tllge7 (the alternative is l I ...iild7!? (I prefer to keep the knight on g8) and now: 12.g3 0-0-0 13.iilg2 f6!? 14.exf6 tllxf6 1 5 .tlle S tllxeS 16.dxeS tlle4! 1 7. .2.xe4 dxe4 1 8.�e3 .2.c6 1 9.0-0 'iWaS!t Colovic­ Moskalenko, Figueres 2009) l 2.g3 (White's plan is iilh3/tllh4/f4-f5) 1 2 ... �d7 13.�h3 0-0-0 14.�cl �df8 15.tllM 'iYas 16.0-0 g5! 1 7.tllg2?! (� 1 7.hxg6 tllxg6�) was seen in Svetushkin-T.Willemze, Sarajevo 2010. Now 1 7.. .fS! forces White to respond: 1 8.exf6 tllg 8!t. Black is better, even if he loses the e6-pawn. 1 1 ... ttJge7 Perhaps I would prefer the direct 1 I ...iild7!?, keeping the possibility of .. .f6-exf6 tllxf6.

Chapter 2 1 - Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation):

6 . . . �aS ;

7 ... �a4

1 2. tllf3 �d7

1 3.0-0?! Kingside castling is not logical after advancing the h-pawn. But we have al­ ready seen most of the other attempts!

ff!I"- WEAPON: Here is my third 'blues' game against Cuban GM Corrales (the final result being 1 -2 in my favour): 1 3.g3 0-0-0 14.<;tifl <;tib8 (the 14 .. .f6!?+:t break is now OK for Black, but I was shocked by the previous game! - 1 S . .tf4 gS!) 1 S.<;tig2 Wa8 1 6 .�b2 J::Ib 8 1 7. .l:IM bs 1 8 .J::Ig l 'ifas 1 9.@fl �b6 20.g4 aS 2 1 .l:th2 J::Ibf8 22.'ifcl <;tib7 23.gS hxgS 24. .l:IxgS llifs+ 25.llih4 llice7 26.llixfS llixfS 27.�b2 f6!t Corrales Jimenez­ Moskalenko, Sabadell 2008. 1 3...0-0-0! Ready to advance the kingside pawns. 1 4. tllh 4 g5! A Black Jet in blues fashion - how nice! 1 5. tllf3 tllg B! Uhlmann's amazing old manoeuvre in the Winawer: preparing the break with the f-pawn. 1 6. tllh 2 f5! A bit of a Stonewall thrown in. 16 .. .f6 l 7.f4 is less clear. 1 7.exf6 tllxf6+ A desired position for the true Blues player.

1 8.g4? White defends his beautiful hS-pawn, but at the price of definitely weakening his king! 1 8 .�b2 .te8 1 9.llabl b6+. 1 8 ..J:theB 1 9.f3 e5! 20.dxe5 lhe5 21 . �d1 l:ldeB 22.'ifb2 'ifa5!

Using the Blues Queen's great proper­ ties, Black prepares an effective punish­ ment on the kingside. 23.a4 tlld 8 23 ...�c7!?. 24. 'ifb4 'ifc7 25.f4 :Se7 26.fxg5 'ifg3+ Reaching the desired square in just three moves. 0-1 27.
Summary of 8. �b 1 c4: With the many examples given in these two model games we have showed how Black avails of almost all the Winawer resources - reinforced by the dynamic possibilities of this Blues variation. 301

Part Four -WinawerVariation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tbc3 �b4 Remember that against any White set­ up, first castling queenside is much more flexible than the immediate break .. .f7-f6. GAMES 89 and 90 Super Blues: 8 �g4 This is the most aggressive move in all the variations of the French Defence, provoking weaknesses in Black's posi­ tion. -

.

at all levels - see the sub-lines 9.tbf3 and 9.�f4!?. In Yearbook 92, GM Alexis Cabrera discussed this interesting weapon against the Blues Variation. But, as I pointed out in the Forum of Yearbook 93, his analy­ sis was not complete (see 'A French Blues Controversy'). In my view, Cabrera does not suggest the best options for both sides in the main lines 8 ... g6 and 8 ...Wf8. However, there are only few games with the new gambit line, and no serious analytical work has been done for the black side. This is the normal crisis situation which occurs after a surprising weapon in any opening. So, my first recommendation would be: do not take the c2-pawn immediately! To be successful Black should combine several possible ideas: an early ...'/Wxc2: this is good after 9.'iVf4 (not after 9.tLlf3). Black follows up with ...'ii°e 4 or ... c5-c4; or taking the c2-pawn later on, after the preliminary pawn moves ... c5-c4 and ... h7-h6. Black waits until White castles kingside, and then first plays 1 2 ... gS! ... •

The pawn on g7 is under attack and there are two ways of defending it: Game 89: 8 .g6 is the classical 'Winawer-Nimzowitsch' defence, with a sharp fight between the queens. Game 90: 8 ...Wf8 is a modern idea in the French Defence; the king defends the dark squares! ..

GAME 89 A Gambit versus the Queen Blues: the line 8 ... g6 In The Flexible French I wrote that the early sortie of the black queen takes the sting out of White's play, since after 8 ...Wf8 or 8 ... g6 the queen has to move back: 9.�d l . This sequence promises Black a creative game in all lines (realizing Plans 1 -3 as well) - see the game move 9... b6 and the weapon 9...tbc6!?. Starting in 2007, a younger generation of players, like Karjakin and Dominguez Perez, popularized the gambit idea, which has become extremely important

•

-

302

8 �

l l 18 l 1 8 iv. 8 ttJ 'it'j,, � 8 8 ��

... and then ...'ii'xc2! (see the line with 9.'iVf4); in case White defends the c2-pawn with na2 or �dl , Black should employ Plan 3: ...tbc6-�d7, ... h7-h6/!:i.h7 and ... 0 - 0-0. •

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . . 'iYaS ; 7 . . . 'iYa4

GAME 89

llmars Starostits (2497) Viktor Moskalenko (2569) Renedo 2008 (9)

1 .e4 es 2.d4 d5 3.lbc3 Ab4 4.es cs 5.a3 Axc3+ 6.bxc3 'ifas 7.Ad2 'ifa4 What I like most about the Black Queen Blues Variation is that it prevents White from playing a number of variations. Instead of worrying about 7.'tWg4 your­ self, you can force White to worry about 7...'t!!Va4. However, after... 8.'i!t'g4!? ... both queens play the super-blues! 8 ... g6 Black is weakened on the dark squares, but he keeps his queenside castling rights. For Hook's defence 8 ...@f8!? see the next game.

.1 � 1. • � .I ii i i i i • ii8 8 8 8 il. 8 8 8 � Jl, t[J g 9. 'ifd1 This move is almost exclusively played, but once White realizes that the c2-pawn need not be protected ...

� WEAPON: The gambit idea can be realized with two moves: 9.tllf3 is the oldest move. Now:

TRICK: After the immediate 9...'iVxc2?! White seems better: 10.dxc5! (or 10.l:rcl!?) 1 0 ...tllc6 1 1 .�b5 f5 1 2.�gS 'tWe4+ 1 3 . �e3 tlle 7 14.0-0 h6 1 5.'l!ff6 .l::!.f8 1 6 . �xh6! (16.'l!fg7± Escobar

Dominguez-Parnes Marcet, Sevilla 2004) 16 .. Jhf6 1 7.exf6+-. But Black can continue 9 ... tllc 6!? 1 O.'l!ff4 and now: A) 1 0 ...'iYxc2 1 1 .dxcS 'iVe4+ with the idea 12.'iYxe4 dxe4 1 3 .tllg S fS 14.exf6 tllxf6 and the arising ending is about equal; B) However, I prefer a closed set-up here, playing 1 0 ... c4!? first - see the line 9.'l!ff4 (weapon); TRICK: 10 ... h6?! 1 1 .dxcS! 'l!fxc2 1 2 .tlld4t Karjakin-Zhang Pengxiang, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007.

•

� WEAPON: 9.'l!ff4!? is the latest line, which has become criti­ cal. White wants to open up the position with 1 0 .dxcS. Black has at least two attractive options:

analysis diagram

A) 9 ...�xc2!? (for balancing purposes it is no problem to eat the cl-pawn after White spends a tempo on 'i!Wf4) 10.tllf3 (10.dxcS tlld 7!) 1 0 ... c4!? (10 ...'tWe4+!? 1 l .'t!Wxe4 dxe4 1 2 . i.bs+ (12.tllg S fS!) 12 ...tllc6 1 3 .tllg S fS! 14.exf6 tllxf6 looks balanced; 1 0 ...b6? 1 1 .dxcS! bxcS 1 2 . .l:!.cl !t Dominguez Perez-Vaganian, Barcelona 2007) 1 1 . £.e2 h6 1 2.0-0 gS! (better include this jet now, when the c2-h7 diagonal is available for the queen. 1 2 ...tllc6 is worse: 1 3 . i.d l ! 'l!fb2 (13 ...�e4!?) 14 . .2.a4 'iYb6 1 5.M i.d7 303

Part Four -Winawer Variation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tbc3 �b4 1 6.tLlh2 with some compensation for the pawn, Cabrera-Parnes Marcet, La Roda 2009) 1 3.'iYg4.

analysis diagram

I think this position is favourable for Black; apart from having an extra pawn in a closed position, he has hidden possi­ bilities. For instance: 13 ...tLlc6 (13 ...'iVf5!? 1 3 ...tt:Je?!?) 14.h4 �d7 and now 1 5.hxg5? (1 5 .�hS gxh4! or 1 5 . ..tdl 'iVh7! 16 . .l::f.c l 0-0-0 17 . ..tc2 fS!) 15 ... hxg5 16.'i¥xg5? 'i¥h7! with a nice chance to give mate on h l ! After the white queen's retreat, Black can combine Plans 1 -3 ; B) I like 9... c4!?, following Plan 3 , with one exception: Black plays. . .tfxc2!? at some favourable moment: 1 0.tt:Jf3 tLlc6 (for example, 1 0 ... h6!? l 1 . �e2 'iVxc2! transposes to the main line with 9...'ifxc2) l 1 . ..te2.

Black, which deserves to be investigated further, is l l ...h6!?, preventing tLlgS and preparing to counter h4-h5 with ... g6-g5 (by the way, l 1 ...'i¥xc2 is still possible). Now: TRICK: 1 2.0-0?! leads to Cabrera­ Pomes Marcet, where 1 2 ... g5! and 13 ...'iYxc2 are fine for Black, see below. Bl) In case White defends c2 by 1 2.l:!.a2, Black can just follow Plan 3; B2) 1 2 .h4 �d7 (12 ...'i¥xc2!?) 1 3.0-0 (or, for instance, 1 3 . �d l !?, stopping ...'iVxc2 once and for all: 1 3 ... .l::f.h ? 14.tLlh2 0-0-0! 1 5.tLlg4 °tWa5 (1 5 ...tLlce7!? 1 6.tLlf6 tLlxf6 1 7.'iVxf6 tLlg8 1 8.�f3 .l::f.f8�) 1 6.tLlf6 tLlxf6 1 7.'iVxf6 (1 7.exf6 .Ue8� 1 8 .0-0? g5! 1 9.�h2 .l:i.eh8i) 1 7 ... .l::r.g 8 this was balanced but Black won in the rapid game Alsina Leal-Moskalenko, Barcelona 201 0) 1 3 ... .l:th?!? (13 ...'ti'xc2!?) 14.tLlh2 0-0-0! (14...°tWxc2!?).

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

This position is quite typical for the Black Queen Blues Variation. An in­ teresting and natural counterplan for 304

Black has caught up in development and continues to threaten the c2-pawn: 1 5 . .l::f.a 2 .l::f.f8 16.tLlg4 'ti'as 1 7. .l::f.e l 'iYd8 1 8.tLlf6 g5!?� (fighting for the initia­ tive; 1 8 ...tLlxf6!? 1 9.'iYxf6 'YWxf6 20.exf6 tLlb8!�) 1 9.hxgS hxg5 20.'ti'xgS tLlxf6 21 .'ti'xf6 'iVa5!? (less good is 2 1 ...'ifb6) with dangerous counterplay for Black. After a tense fight, the recent game A.Muzychuk-1.Rajlich, Ohrid tt 2009, ended in a draw.

Chapter 2 1 - Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . . 'l!Wa5; 7 ... 'l!Wa4

.t. •

9 b6 With the strategic idea ... Aa6. Alter­ natively, after the knight development 9...tbc6!? lO.tLlf3 (or 10.�bl), Black can employ the universal blocking set-up 1 0 ...c4, as in the first two games - Plan 3 ! TRICK: Plan number 2 , the attack on the d4-pawn, is also possible: 10 ... cxd4!? 1 1 .cxd4 tbxd4oo - but, as always, more risky. 1 1 .M h6 1 2.tbh2 (12.�cl �d7 1 3 . Ae2 0-0-0+:t Hermansson-Kruppa, Bucharest 2006) 1 2 ... f6!? 1 3 .f4 hs 14.g4 Ad7 1 5.�e2 hxg4 16.tLlxg4 0-0-0! is a dream position for Black in this variation, Volokitin-Ward, Copenhagen 2002. 1 0.c4 Trying to unlock the centre. This aggres­ sive break is also played in the variation with 8 ...Wf8 - see next game.

continues according to plan. 1 2.tLle2 (Sznapik-I.Rajlich, Warsaw 2010) 12 ... h6!; and for 1 2.tLlf3 see the next line) 1 2 ... cxd4! .

...

ti('

/fl"- WEAPON: The main line 1 0.M is also logical. White hopes that the weakening of the dark squares will improve his chances: 10 ... �a6! (an idea of grandmaster Lev Psakhis. Black allows the advance h4h5. 10 ...tbc6!? is Plan 2) 1 1 . Axa6 tbxa6! (1 1 ...'l!Wxa6 is possible: 1 2.h5 tbc6! 1 3.hxg6 fxg6 14.'1Wg4 Wd7! 1 5.tLlf3 and now the surprising 1 5 ... h5!, sacrificing a pawn, appears to give Black excellent play: 16.'iVxg6 tLlge7 1 7.'l!Wd3 'iYxd3 18.cxd3 cxd4 1 9.cxd4 tiJf50 Apicella­ Jacimovic, Fiigen tt 2006) 1 2.hS (White

analysis diagram

Definitely a key position for Black. 1 3.hxg6 fxg6 and now: TRICK: 14.'iVg4 ltJe7! (thus Black retains dangerous counterplay; 14...Wd7!? 1 5.cxd4 hS+:t) 1 5.cxd4 (the first nuance is that 1 5 .�xe6?? loses to 15 ...tLlc5! 16.�g4 �xc2 with powerful threats: 1 7.�xd4 0-0-+; the second is l S .tLlf3 h5!i) 1 5 ... hS!. This pawn thrust is a nice way to get rid of the h7 weakness once and for all. Now: TRICK: 1 6 .�xe6? �xd4 1 7.i::f.d l 'ife4+! 1 8.tLle2 tbcs 1 9.'i¥h3 0-0! and Black is better. TRICK: 16.tLle2?? certainly does not work: 1 6 ... hxg4 1 7. .l'.Ixh8+ Wd7 1 8 .1:1'.xa8 tLlc8+ Al Sayed­ B.Socko, Port Erin 2006. Finally, 1 6 .�M!? g5 (16 ...'ti'xc2!? looks fine) 1 7.�xgS �xd4+:t. Black seems OK after this pawn capture: 1 8 .c3? �e4+ 1 9.tLle2 tbcs+ and now 20.�M occurred in M.Andersen-Johannesson, Reykjavik 2009, when 20 ...'iVxeS! would have been an unpleasant surprise. 305

Part Four -WinawerVariation: I .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tlx3 il.b4 If 14.�h4 CiJe7 (14...CiJc5!t) 1 5.CiJf3 (1 5 . cxd4 CiJc5!f) 1 5 . . .CiJcS! (an improvement on 1 5 ...CiJf5 1 6 .�f4 hS!? Sulskis-Bruno, Troms0 2009) 16.�xd4 (16.CiJxd4 0-0!) 1 6 ...iVd7! 1 7.c4 CiJc6 1 8.l:i.h4 0-0+ and Black is the first to reach the desired position.

ttJ-- WEAPON: l O.CiJf3 is also a natural continuation:

analysis diagram

10 ... �a6 l l .�xa6 CiJxa6 (interestingly, taking with the queen l l ...'iWxa6!?, pre­ venting White's castling, and if 12.h4 following up with 12 ... h6!?, seems quite playable) 1 2.h4 hS (12 ... h6!?) 1 3 .0-0 0-0-0 14.�g5 .l::!.d 7 1 5 . �bl CiJe7 1/2-1/2 N.Kosintseva-Hoang Thanh Trang, Dresden Ech 2007. 1 0... .taS! ? During the game I preferred to continue following the original plan. There are three valuable alternatives: A) 1 0 ...CiJe?!?� was a strong move; B) 10 ...CiJc6 is not a bad idea either: 1 l .dxc5 bxcS (1 1 ...dxc4!?) 1 2.c3 'iYxdl+ 1 3 . �xdl CiJge7= but not 1 3 ... d4? 14.CiJf3± Greet-S.Lalic, England tt 2008/09; C) 10 ...dxc4!? was another great op­ tion: 1 l .dxc5 CiJe7 ! (1 I ...CiJd7!?) 1 2.CiJf3 �a6!? with an interesting position. 1 1 .cxdS! White has to open up the game.

306

11 ... .txf1 1 l ...'®'xd4!?. 1 2.@xf1 exd5! Despite its obviousness, this move appears to be a novelty. l 2 ...'ii'xd4 is a bit worse: 1 3.dxe6 'tl:Vc4+ 14.'®'e2!;\; Y.Frolov-Totsky, St Petersburg 1998; 12 ...'tl:Vc4+ 13 .CiJe2 (1 3.'tl:Ve2!?;!;) 13 ...exd5 14.dxcS bxc5 1 5 .h4 CiJe7 16.�g5t Vovk­ Polivanov, Lvov jr 2003 . 1 3.dxcS bxc5 The arising position is balanced, but there is still plenty of play. 1 4. .tgs 'ii'c4+ 1 5. 'ife2 1 5 .CiJe2 CiJc6�. 1 5 ... llld7 Trying to take profit of his development advantage. I S ...'tl:Vxe2+ 1 6 .tllxe2 h6 (16 ... f6!? 1 7.exf6 tlld 7=) 1 7.�h4 d4=. 1 6.'ii'xc4 dxc4 1 7.h4 h6 1 8. .te3 ta37 1 9 . .:td1 lllf5 1 9 ... �b8!?. 20. .:th3 The ending is equal.

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . . �aS; 7 . . . VWa4

20...0-0-0!? 20 ... c;i;;>e 7=. 21 .g4 tLlg7! ? 22.f4 hS! 23.gxhSD .:XhS 24.lbe2 l:ldh8 25 . .tf2 lbe6 26.@g2 26.l::!c 3 tllb 6. 26... gS!? A last try to complicate the posltlon. However, my opponent was sufficiently alert and solid in this game. 27.fxgS tt:lxgS 28.l:le3 lbe6 29. .tg3 tt:idf8 30.l:lf1 tt:lg6 31 . l:le4 3 I ..l:f.xf7 tllxh4+ 32.�xh4 frxh4=. 31 ... tt:lxh4+ 32 . .:Xh4 .:Xh4 33 . .txh4 .:Xh4 34 . .:Xf7 There is very little material left on the board, so: a draw.

Summary: As we have seen, the main

game was pretty quiet. White preferred to avoid the most risky lines. But this fairly recent game is not included in any database, and with it I wanted to up­ date all the possibilities of the variation 8 .°iVg4 g6, for both sides. If for some reason the black player is not satisfied with 8 ...g6, or still afraid of the gambit idea, he can try Hook's Defence: GAME 90 Hook's Defence (A Dark­ Square Symphony): 8 ...Wf8 -

This is a modern move, defending g7 with the king without weakening the dark squares. But now Black cannot castle queenside any more. This line was

deeply analysed in The Flexible French, see Michielsen-Moskalenko, Game 64. After 9.�dl b6!? 1 0.c4/h4/dxc5 White tries to become active in the centre and/ or to attack on the kingside - see my up­ date in the sub-line with 9 ...b6. For this book, in our main game we concentrate on the universal Plan 3 since miraculously, here queenside cas­ tling is still an option for the black king! KEEP IN MIND: Remarkably, the results of some important games in this 8 ...Wf8 line (Black los­ ing against stronger opposition, as happened, for example, in Fischer-Hook) do not reflect the assessment of the positions in the opening and the middlegame. It means that those black players urgently need to improve their concepts (except Hook). GAM E 90

Daniel Alsina Leal (2550) Viktor Moskalenko (2538) Barcelona ti 2010 (7)

Interestingly, a week earlier I had played the same Blues Variation against the same opponent (see the previous game, the gambit line 9.VWf4). I guess he had had enough time to prepare something amazing, so for this new game I decided to change directions. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 .tb4 4.es cs 5.a3 .txc3+ 6.bxc3 'fr'aS 7. .td2 'ii'a 4 8. 'irg4 White ignores his own weaknesses in order to attack g7. As some would say in the (distant) past, the dark-square sym­ phony begins. 8 ... @18!? For some reason (and despite favourable statistics for Black!) in the Blues Variation this is a less popular option than 8 ... g6. 9. 'ird1 307

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tlx3 .ib4 The accepted solution - the queen must go back to protect the weak pawn on c2. � WEAPON: After Cabrera's gambit move 9.tl:if3 Black has enough resources: 9...'il}Vxc2 (9... c4!?) 1 o . .llc l 'il}Vg6 (10 ...'il}Va4!? 1 l .c4 tl:ic6oo) 1 1 .'il}Vxg6 hxg6 1 2.c4 tl:ie7!? 1 3 .dxcS tl:ibc6 (13 ... dxc4!? 14.Axc4 Ad7 1 5.0-0 �c6 1 6.tl:id4 tl:if5!+%) 14.�d3 .l::i.h S! 1 5 .�f4 tl:ias 1 6.cxdS tl:ixd5+% Cabrera-Scavo, Burguillos 2009.

Wg8 1 7.tl:ig3 .l::i.c 8 1 8.°iYf3 tl:id8+% Ethan Hunt-CapNemo, playchess.com 2007) 14 . .l::i.f4 tl:ibc6 1 5.tl:if3 tl:ia5 1 6 .Wgl tl:ic4+% 1 7.tl:iel?! ncs+ Konguvel-Vilela, Balaguer 2006). Now: All) 1 1 ...'irYxa6!? This reply allows the knight to develop towards the centre: ...tl:ic6: 1 2 .h5 h6 B . nh4 tl:ie7 14.l::r.f4 tl:ibc6.

analysis diagram

If now Black plays 9 ... tl:ie7, this position can also arise from the Eingorn Variation (see Game 21). But there are two better ideas: 9 ltJc6 This will be our main treatment for this book. � WEAPON: A strong alternative is 9 ... b6!? preparing ... �a6 (Plan 1). A) 10.h4!? introduces White's typical plans: /::,. h4-h5-h6, .l::i.h4-f4, etc. Al) The stem game saw 1 0 ... tl:ie7 1 1 .hS h6 12 . .l::i.M i.a6 1 3 . i.xa6 tl:ixa6 (13 ...'il}Vxa6 is the main game) 14 . .l::i.f4 'il}Vd7 1 5.°iVf3 tl:ic6 1 6 .tl:ih3 .l::i.c 8 1 7.g4oo and Hook had a playable game. However, he spoiled it later and allowed Fischer to win in 28 moves, Fischer-Hook, Siegen Olympiad 1 970; A2) 10 ... i.a6!? l l . Axa6 (1 1 .h5 �xfl 1 2.Wxfl h6 13 . .l::i.M !? tl:ie7 (13 ..."ifa6+ 14.tl:ie2 tl:ic6 1 5.'it>gl tl:ige7 1 6 . .l::i.f4 ...

308

It looks as if the position is equal. The attacking and defensive resources on both sides balance each other out: 1 5.a4 .l::i.c 8 1 6.a5 cxd4 l 7.cxd4 bxa5! (1 7 ... 'irYc4 1 8.axb6 axb6 1 9.c3oo Castellanos-Vilela, Balaguer 2006) 1 8.'iff3 Wg8 l 9.tl:ie2 l::r.f8 and hidden in this 'sarcophagus' Black cannot lose!; A22) The alternative is l 1 ...tl:ixa6, in order to activate the a8-rook and play on the c-file, although on a6 the knight will be out of play: 12.h5 h6 1 3 . .l::i.M �c8 14 . .l::i.f4 cxd4 1 5.cxd4 tl:ie7 � TRICK: 1 5 ... .l:1xc2? is bad due to 111 16.�c3! 'il}Vb3 1 7. .l:If3 tl:ie7. Here the game Konguvel-Moskalenko, Badalona 2006, was drawn, but 1 8 .tl:ie2! gives White a clear advantage. 1 6.'irVf3 We8 l 7.c3 l:l'.f8 1 8 .tl:ih3 tl:ib8 1 9.°iYg4 .l:1g8 20.�f3 1/2-1/2 Cheparinov­ P.Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee B 2005. Other 1 0th moves for White are: B) 1 0.tl:if3 �a6 l l . �d3 �xd3 1 2.cxd3 "ifxdl+ 1 3.Wxdl cxd4 14.tl:ixd4 tl:ie7

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 ... 'iYaS; 7 ... 'iYa4

1 S.f4 tt:Jbc6+ Ashwin-Luther, Kuala Lumpur 201 0 ; C) 1 0.dxcS does not look particu­ larly dangerous for Black: 1 0 ... bxcS (10 ...'iVe4+!?) 1 l .tDf3 tlJe7 12.�d3 tt:Jbc6!? (12 ... ga6= Kurnosov-Ustinov, Cheliabinsk tt 2005) with the ambitious idea to meet 1 3.0-0 with 1 3 ...c4 14.�e2 tlJg6!? winning the e5-pawn; D) 1 0 .c4!?

analysis diagram

Normally White starts action in the centre with this advance. Here 1 0 ...tt:Je7! was recommended in The Flexible French, and it is certainly playable: 'iYxd4!? DI) 1 1 .cxdS 1 2.dxe6 'iVxe5+ 1 3 .�e2 and here 1 3 ... �xe6 (or 1 3 ... 'iVxe6!? 14.tlJf3 �a6 1 5 . �e3 tlJd5oo 1 3 ... �b7 14.�f4= (1/2-1/2, 1 7) Grischuk-Shulman, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005) 14.tlJf3 Vi'd5 is a reasonable way to play for the win; D2) 1 l .dxc5 and now: D21) So far only 1 1 ...bxc5 has been played, with a key game continuing l 2.c3 (12.tDf3 dxc4=) 12 ...'ifxdl + 1 3 . .l::!.xdl �a6 (13 ... tt:Jd7=) 14.�g5?! (14.tt:Jf3 tlJd7±) 14 ...tt:Jbc6 1 5.tlJf3 �xc4 16.�xc4 dxc4 1 7.�e3 tlJd5 1 8.i.xcs+ @e8 with comfortable equality, Gharamian-Rojas, Cappelle la Grande 2008; D22) 1 1 ...dxc4!? may be an improve­ ment, coming from Goh Wei Ming on the ChessPublishing site: 12.tDe2 (12.tlJf3 �b7+:t) 1 2 ... �b7 1 3.tlJc3 'l1Vc6

14.cxb6 axb6 1 5 .�f4 tlJd7 1 6.'iVd6 'iYxd6 1 7.exd6 tlJf5!+:t. This line certain­ ly deserves practical testing; D3) 1 l .tlJf3 �a6! (1 1 ...tlJbc6!? 12.dxc5 dxc4 1 3.M �a6!+:t Konguvel-Sengupta, Atul ch-IND 2006; 1 1 ...dxc4!? 1 2.dxc5 �b7+:t) 1 2.cxd5 (12.dxc5 �xc4!) 1 2 ... �xfl ! (the exchange of the light­ squared bishops reduces White's initia­ tive) 1 3.@xfl (a zwischenzug like 1 3 .d6?! is not much use: 13 ... �a6! 14.dxe7+ @xe7 1 5 . �gs+ f6!+) 1 3 ... tlJxd5 14.dxc5 bxcS 1 5.g3 (fianchettoing his king) 15 ...tlJd7 (15 ... tlJc6!?) 1 6.@g2 h6! 1 7.M @e7! (preparing an exit: ... l:ih8d8 and ...@f8) 1 8 .h5 l:rhd8+:t with a good position for Black, MichielsenMoskalenko, Banyoles 2006. 1 O. lLif3 The key move of the natural line. 10.'iVbl c4 returns to the Anti-Blues line.

1 0...c4 This blocking move is logical after tt:Jf3, and I trust this option. However, it may be a bit premature here. /fl"- WEAPON: In the FORUM section of Yearbook 93 we already analysed a similar set-up. After 1 0 ...tt:Jge7!? I found some impor­ tant improvements and concepts: 1 1 .'iVbl (according to Cabrera the best way is to consolidate the centre. I think the best way is to open the centre, but 1 1 .dxcS!? is 309

Part Four -WinawerVariation: 1 .e4 e6 2 .d4 d5 3 . tlx3 .tb4 unclear: 1 1 ...°iVe4+!? (1 1 ...tLlg6oo) 1 2 . �e2 tLlxe5 1 3.0-0 tLlxf3+ 14.�xf3 'iVc4oo) 1 1 ...c4! (now the block works perfectly) 1 2.h4 @e8! (this concept is consistent with our Plan 3 - ...@d8-c7 etc., only here the king manoeuvre is a little slower) 1 3 .h5 h6! 14.g4!? (if 14.�h4 �d7 1 5 .:lf4 .U.f8 and ...@d8-c7) 14...�d8! .

ll

/4\ l l � l l 18 8 8 'iV 1 8 ttJ 8 8 8 il,. 8 ii,. : : 'if" i:

1. 9

i:

analysis diagram

Another key moment. White must do something, otherwise Black will coun­ terattack on the kingside! A) Cabrera gives 1 5 . �g2 @c7 1 6.tLlh4 �d7 1 7.f4 as a favourable line for White. But in my opinion, after 1 7... :laf8 and 1 7.. .f6 or 1 7...g6 the position is complex and I prefer Black in the long run - at least his king is safer; B) 1 5 .g5!? hxg5 1 6.tLlxg5 @e8 ! (the king is multi-purpose and self-support­ ing in this variation) 1 7. .ile2 b6 1 8 . �g4 and now: TRICK: The immediate break 1 8 .. .f6! favours Black tactically: 1 9.exf6 gxf6 20.tLlh3 (20.tLlxe6? @f7! is the point) 20 ... e5t and no one will need to 'touch a stone' to know who is boss here. Or 1 8 ... .ild7 1 9.°iVdl tLlg8 20.�e3 tLlh6 21 .@d2 @d8! 22.'iVf3 @c7! 23.tLlh3 :laf8:+ Karjakin-P.Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee 2005. 310

i:

i:

• .t. l l l� l 'S 18 8 ii,. 'iV 1 8 8 8 ii,. � ttJ 8 \t> 8 : : l

analysis diagram

Psakhis once wrote about this line (CBM 1 05): 'Black has a very solid position, but it's quite difficult for him to get active counterplay.' Anyway, from here until the end of the game Black missed many opportunities: 24. .ilxh6 :lxh6 25.'l!fVe3 . For instance, after the correct French break 25 .. .f6! Black should be better here. KEEP IN MIND: If Black does not fear the line 10 ... tLle7 1 1 . dxc5, he can use this move order. 1 1 .g3 The young GM surprised me with this fianchetto. tfl""'- WEAPON: I rather expected 1 l .h4!?, since there is no faster way to make progress!

analysis diagram

A) As we recommended previously, it may be better to wait a bit with 1 1 ...tLlge7?! until we see the enemy's plans: 12.h5

Chapter 2 1 - Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 �a5 ; 7 . . . �a4 ...

h6 1 3.g4! (similar to Karjakin's attack) 1 3 ...@e8 (it seems that in this move order Black is not able to complete Plan 3 in time: 1 3 ... �d7 14.l:1gl !?) 14.�h3 �d7 1 5 . .!:1gl @d8 16.g5! @c7D (16 ... hxg5 1 7.tllxg5t) 1 7.gxh6 gxh6 and Black is somewhat passive although his position is pretty solid, Cheparinov-Pilaj, Gothenburg Ech-tt 2005; B) l l ...�d7 1 2.h5 h6 1 3 .g4!? (to the rook lift 1 3 . .l:f.h4 tllg e7 14 . .l::!.f4, the best reply is 14...@g8! and then ... .l::!.f 8, which is a more than sufficient defence). Now an interesting way to castle is 1 3 ... l:re8!?, intending ... @e7-d8!: 14.l:rgl @e7!? (14 ...tllg e7 1 5 .tllh4!?) 1 5 .g5 (1 5 .tllh4 Wd8!) l 5 ... @d8 1 6.gxh6 gxh6 l 7.l:rg7 l:rf8 1 8 .tllh4 tllg e7� and Black is ready for the .. .f7-f6 break. 1 1 ... �d7 1 2. �g2 lLige7 12 ... h6!? in order to avoid White's next manoeuvre. 1 3. lLigS h6 1 4. lLlh3 @e8! ? Realizing Plan number 3. In this game Black and White mix many ideas, but until a certain point the position re­ mains balanced. Of course, 14 ... 'it>g8 is an option to equalize.

1 5. lLlf4!? g6!? Preventing 1 6 .tllh S. 1 s.:a2 @de 1 1.0-0
Defending h6. Now White needs more material for the attack. 22. �11 ..tee 23. lLig2 lLif5 ! 24.h4? My opponent does not feel the danger generally, this advance is best made in the opening. 24.�e2=; 24.tlle 3 tbxe3=. 24... gS!t

1

•

i:

1 i: 1 1 1 8 ,. 1 8 'iV 1 8 8 8 n 8 � 8 CLJ n 'ii' �� 1 ,.

.t

This attractive 'blues jet' allows Black to activate his rooks. 25.hS f6! Now White's position collapses. 26.exf6 life 27.lLie3 lLixe3 28.�xe3 .:Xf6 29. �g2 lLle7! ? A typical knight manoeuvre with this pawn structure: ...tllfS-d6-e4. 30.l:lb4 'ifc6 31 .a4 White is too slow on this wing. 31 ... lLifS 32.�d2 l:lhf7 33.aS b5 34.a6 lLld6 35.�e1 ? 35.�e3D 'ffc7. 35 ... lLie4 36.f3 .:Xf3! An obvious sacrifice - no need to work on this in the workshop, since the fight is already over. 37. hf3 l:lxf3 38.'W"d1 l:lf7 39.liaS 'ft'b6 40. 'ifa1 es 41 . '1tg2 'ife6 0-1 Hook's defence to 8 .'i:Yg4, 8 ... @f8, will always be a good alternative. Black is still OK - and the Blues won't go away. GAME 91 - On the Attack!: 8/9.h4/tllf3 White combines the attacking move h2-h4 with tllf3, or he plays 8.h4 and 9.'ti'g4, leading to an even more creative game. 311

Part Four -WinawerVariation: l .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3 . ti:x3 �b4 For producing the game of the tour­ nament in grand style, Shulman took home the $1000 best game prize donat­ ed by chess.com. All sorts of standard French and Winawer themes occur in this game, and it is instructive to study. The game was hailed in many sources as surprising, amazing, and arguably the most important game in the U.S. Championship of 2010, where the reign­ ing champion was eliminated. It is also theoretically connected to some very important lines in the Winawer, and was therefore also included in my book The Wonderful Winawer. GAME 91

Hikaru Nakamura (2733) Yury Shulman (261 3) St Louis ch-USA 201 0 (9)

1 .e4 According to the ChessBase website, Nakamura played the opening quickly, while Shulman played in classical 'French' style. 1 ...e6 'The French Defence creates imbalances and winning chances in many lines thanks to its better pawn structure and the closed character of the game. The key is a counter-attacking mindset and the patience needed to absorb White's aggression - it's like Japanese Aikido. You invite your opponent to start his ag­ gression and then unbalance him' - the author in Revolutionize Your Chess. 2.d4 dS 3.ttJc3 .i.b4 4.es cs 5.a3 .txc3+ 6.bxc3 'ifas 7 .i.d2 'Wa4 8.ti:Jf3 White scores under 50% with this simple (but quite transpositional) move. It ranks well behind 8.�bl and 8.'ii'g4 among White's preferences.

analysis diagram

The first sign of White's dynamic inten­ tions. The h-pawn begins its action on the kingside and allows the activation of the hi -rook (!th3). Now: A) 8 ... tLle7 transposes into the so­ called Sub-Winawer, seen in the game Lahno-Socko, analysed in Chapter 5 of The Wonderful Winawer; B) 8 ...cxd4?! is premature due to 9.'i:Vg4t. TRICK: 8 ...b6!? is an interesting and provocative alternative: 9.h5 (against 9.'i:Vg4, 9 ... @f8! enters a 'Hook' in the good move order; 9.dxc5 does not seem dangerous: 9...bxc5 1 0.c4 tLle7 1 1 .h5 �a6!�) 9... �a6!?.

.

,,,.,,,. WEAPON: 8.h4!? 312

analysis diagram

And now it is not easy for White to find an advantage: IO.'i:Vg4 (10.h6 tLlxh6!) 1 0 ...@f8 l 1 .h6 (1 1 .�xa6 tLlxa6 12.!tcl h6 1 3.tLle2 tLle7= with a typical position af­ ter ... b7-b6/�a6, Iordachescu-Agdestein,

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . 'i1!Va5; 7 . . . 'i1!Va4

Port Erin 2003) l l ...tbxh6!. Unbelievably, Black gets the better chances here: 12 . .txh6 (1 2.l:i.xh6 gxh6 1 3 . .txh6+ We7D 14.Vi'g7 'i!:Ye8+) 1 2 ...gxh6 13.�dl (White definitely loses the initiative after 13.tlxh6 'i1!Vxc2!) 1 3 ...cxd4 14.cxd4 �as+! 15.�d2 �xd2+ (15 ... .txfl !?+) 1 6.Wxd2 .txfl 1 7. .ld.xfl tbc6 1 8.Wd3 tba5 19.a4 tbc4 20 . .ld.bl .ld.c8 21 .tbe2 .ld.g8 22.g3 f6!i Macieja-Sengupta, Mumbai 2008; C) 8 ...tbc6!?. Development is required. Now: TRICK: Importantly, after 9.'iYg4?! Wf8! (:so; 9 ... g6?! 1 0.hSi) the move h2-h4 is quite unhelpful since Black has a more favourable set­ up than in the Eingorn Variation (...tbc6 instead of ...tbe7), and in Hook's defence. 9.hS (for 9.tbf3 see the main game) 9 ... h6! (this blockade move is natural and very human. White seems to be better after 9... cxd4?! 1 0.�g4 Wf8 1 1 .h6!i but the brave 9... tbge7!? 1 0 .h6 gxh6 leads to the famous game Volokitin-Zhang Pengxiang, Fiigen tt 2006) and now:

� .t '' � ' ii8 b 8 8 il 8 8 'iV � il tlJ l':r analysis diagram

Cl) 1 0 .Vi'bl returns to the blockading line after 1 0 ... c4. TRICK: 1 0 .l::f.h4 tbxeS! Kalymnos­ CapNemo, playchess.com 2009. C2) lO.°iVg4 .ld.h7!? (this curious move allows Black to continue Plan 2 and

.

3, but it only works thanks to tactics. 10 ... Wf8!? is a common defence in the French, analysed in Chapter 1 0 of The Wonderful Winawer as a sub-line, see the game Pena Gomez-Moskalenko, Ca'n Picafort 2008. Now Black threatens to win material in three different ways: l I ...'i!:Yxc2, 1 1 ...cxd4 or 1 1 ...tbxeS!) and now, for instance, 1 1 .�d3? tbxe5!; C3) 1 0.tbf3 tbge7 (10 ... c4!? is similar to Plan 3) l I .llh4 (a standard move for this variation. Now White threatens to take on cS, forcing Black to close the centre) 1 1 . ..c4 1 2 . .l:!.f4.

� .t '' �

' i8 i8 g tlJ 8 8 .§l 8 8 'iV � il

analysis diagram

Here my favourite line is definitely 12 ... �d7 1 3 .g4 .i::i:f8 14 . .th3 0-0-0 1 5 .gS hxgS 1 6.tbxgS tbfs+ Canal Oliveras­ Moskalenko, Barbera del Valles 2009. 8 tbc6 Developing and looking for ways to exert pressure in the centre, still keeping all three plans in hand. In my view, here Black has an obvious advantage in com­ parison with the Blues Variation and the classical early 6 ... tbe7. Other plans are: A) 8 ... c4!? is quite logical. White has not wasted any time on 8.'i1!Vbl c4 9.°iVd l , but the 'stupid' move tbf3 now compensates Black for such complaints; B) 8 ...b6!?, with the idea ... .ta6, reducing White's initiative, has become Black's main way of dealing with such positions; C) 8 ...tbe7!?. ...

313

Part Four -Winawer Variation: l .e4 e6 2 .d4 dS 3 . tbc3 .ib4 9.h4

E j_ • � E 11 111 � l llB B � fj � 8 t2J B� B B : � cJ? � : Attacking players just love to advance this pawn! Nakamura has in mind a pawn sacrifice invented by Garry Kasparov. 9.dxc5!? may be a reason to opt for the other black moves in the previous note. 9 ... cxd4!? Transposing to the Kasparov gam­ bit. The other three options were still available. Shulman's previous experience with 9.M had led to an unhappy ending, but there his position was fine most of the way: two games 1 1/2-1/2, Khalifman­ Shulman, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005. For 9 ...tllg e7 see Canal-Moskalenko, in the notes above. 1 O.cxd4 lLige7 1 0 ...b6!?; 1 0 ...tllxd4 l l .�d3 (1 1 . .iM!?) l l ...b6 1 2 .h5 h6 1 3 . �Mt J.Willemze-De Blecourt, Hengelo jr 1 994. 1 1 .hS lLixd4! ? Accepting the gambit. l 1 ...h6 can trans­ pose after 1 2 . �d3 tllxd4. 1 2. �d3

E j_ 11 •

� fj : 314

• E �l1 1 l lB B � � t2J B� B B : ��

American grandmasterYury Shulman is an­ other great Francophile from modern times, who crushed a 2 7 00+ attacking player with the Blues Variation.

Nakamura has reached a position that was pioneered by Kasparov in the early nineties. Those games generally appear from a different move order involving 6 ...tlle 7 7.M!?. 1 2 ... h6! White's advance has to be stopped. However, this natural blocking move has been seen in only very few games. A) Most of the old games continued 1 2 ...tllec6. In the game Kasparov-Anand, Linares 1 992, Black's kingside was shat­ tered after 1 3.Wfl tllxf3 14.�xf3 b6 (14...�d4 1 5 . �e l tllxe5 1 6 .�g3 a) 1 5.h6! �a6 1 6 .hxg? �g8 1 7.�xa6 �xa6+ 1 8 .Wgl �xg7 1 9.�f6 �g8 20 . .!:txh? �b7 and now instead of 1 5.�g5, White could have played 2 1 .c4! with decisive pressure; B) 12 ...tllef5 and 12 ... tlldf5 are defen­ sive systems suggested by John Watson in the latest editions of Play the French and they have held up in limited tests and analysis; C) The game Nolsoe-Naumkin, Copenhagen 1 992, was also critical:

Chapter 2 1 - Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . . 'li'a5; 7 ... �a4 12 ...tt:Jxf3+ 1 3 .�xf3 °iVd4 14.0-0 'i¥xe5 1 5 .h6 and here Black can play a curious move: 1 5 ...'i¥f6!? instead of 1 5 ... .2.d7oo. 1 3. @11 Without this preliminary move White cannot play .!d.h4.

•

TRICK: 1 3 . i:Ih4?? tt:Jxf3+.

1 3 .l:!.bl!? looks like an interesting alter­ native, which has been discussed on ChessPublishing. 1 3 ... tlJxf3 TRICK: Instead, on 1 3 ...tt:Jec6?? 14.�h4! wins a piece, as in the game A.Larsen-H.Andersen, Hedehusene 1 994.

and supporting .l:!.h4. 1 5.'i¥e2!? is a back­ ward move that would not agree with Nakamura's plans. 1 5 ... .b6! By sacrificing his two pawns on g7 and h6, Black is beginning to dominate the game - at least on a psychological level! White would have a powerful initiative against the passive defence 1 5 ... .!d.g8? 1 6 . .!d.h4!. 1 6. 'ifxg7 hd3+ 1 7.cxd3 .l:[g8 1 8. 'ifxh6

f(

After 1 3 ...tt:Jdf5!? and the forced sequence H.nb1 tt:Jc6 1 5 . .2.b5 �g4 1 6 . .!d.b4 d4 Black simply achieved a better posi­ tion in the recent game Semenova­ Mkrtchian, Rijeka Ech 2010. 1 4. 'ifxf3 A key position.

White obtains a potentially lethal passed pawn. But don't forget that Yury Shulman is a well-known expert on the Poisoned Pawn! E .t 1 8 ... 'ifd4! ii It is a true pleasure to watch the 'Blues • Queen' entering the game. In fact, Black has enough counterplay to keep the h-pawn from moving. 1 9. .l:[e1 A new move, protecting the e-pawn. I found two obscure games by the same black player from this position: 19.I:tcl (in order to prevent .. Jk8) 1 4... b6! (19...'i¥xe5? 20.'li'f4±) A very healthy strategy, preparing to 1 9...�xd3+ gain quick access to the light squares. 20.'lt>gl 'l!Ve4 (20 ... d4!? 20 ...tlJf5?! 21 .'i¥f4 14 ... .2.d7 1 5 .nb1 ! (1 5.'li'g3 �b5 ! is favoured White in Manhardt-Petrik, similar to the game) 1 5 . . .�d4 (1 5 ...tLlc6? Guarapuava jr 1 995) 21 .g3 �xe5 1 6 .�g3t Anka-Totsky, Harkany 1 993) 22.'li'f4! 'li'xf4 23.gxf4 f6!? (:<;; 23 ... .a.cs 1 6 . .!d.h3 is hardly unclear. Vlcek-Petrik, Slovakia tt-2 1 998/99) 24. .!d.c7 e5 25 . .2.d2 'lt>f7 with an equal 1 5.'fig3 This is the only way to make use of ending. Kasparov's original idea: attacking g7 1 9... 'ifxd3+ 20. @g1 315

Part Four WinawerVariation : 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3 . tt:Jc3 �b4 -

This move shows how uncomfortable White's position is here - his pieces don't coordinate especially well, and the pressure along the g-file and soon from the c-file can become very dangerous. Not 2 1 ...tiJfS?? 22.'fff6.

Another tricky moment. Strategically Black is happy, but how to exploit this advantage? 20... .i:r.ce A natural and active move, Black needs to bring on all his resources. TRICK: 20 ...tiJfS!? was tactically interesting: 21 .'iff40 (2 1 .'i:Yh7?? .l:Ixg2+ 22.�xg2 tbe3+) 2 1 ...tiJd4 22.Wh20 .l::i.c 8 23.'i:Ye3 tbf3+!? (23 ...'iffs 24.'iYxd4 .l:Ic4 25.'iYe3 .:g_cg4 26.g3 .l:Ie4 27.'i:Yc3 .:g_c4 28.'i:Ye3 with a draw by repetition) 24.gxf3 (24.'ifxf3 'i:Yxd2 25 . .ld.dl 'irgst) 24 ... 'iffs 2S.f4 i:Ic2! 26 . .l::i.c lD 'ifxhs+ 27.°ifh3 'ife2 28.°ife3 and this seems to be only a draw, even after the amazing combination 28 ...°ifg4 29.°ifh3 'flxf4+! . 21 . ..igS?! Hikaru Nakamura is one of the world's most optimistic players, but objectively it is hard to find the right direction in such a position. White's best chance was to offer a queen exchange: of course, 2 1 .'i!Ve3! is not an attractive move, but perhaps it was best. After 21 ...'Wh7 the game is quite balanced, but the white king is safer now. In case of 21 ...'Wxe3 22.�xe3 Black should play precisely, since White's h-pawn is still a threat. 21 ... 'ti'f5!

316

22.f4 Hikaru Nakamura continues his ambitious plan; defending the bishop and closing the g-file. However, with hindsight, after this dangerous advance the white queen is fatally locked away on the kingside and the white king will be exposed soon. Anyway, trying to simplify with 22.�xe7?! Wxe7 would have left Black with an obvious advantage. 22 ... .l:l.c2! 23 . .l:l.h2?? Losing in a spectacular way. White could still bail out into a playable ending with 23.'iff6 (the only move) 23 ...'ffxf6 24.exf6 tiJfS, but perhaps Black is slightly better here. 23 ... 'ti'd3!White's king becomes vulnerable on the first rank. 24. 'iff6 Too late - unfortunately White will not have time to enjoy his own attacking machine. After 24.iLxe7 'Wd2! Black gives mate. 24... :XgS! An enrichment to the virtual 'collec­ tion' of our workshop. Shulman's blow is forcing, aesthetic, and human.

Chapter 2 1

-

Black Queen Blues (Portisch/HookVariation): 6 . . . 'iVaS; 7 ... 'iVa+ Here Nakamura shook his head several times, imitating Garry Kasparov's mimicks in his match game with Karpov, but for Nakamura this was not very productive. Actually, 24- ... tLlc6 produces more or less the same finish. 25.'ifxg5 Or 25.fxg5 tLlf5, winning. 25 . . . 'it'd4+ 26.'ifiih 1 'ife3! 0-1 A dramatic final. Any sensible reply will be met by 27 ... .l::!.c l .

Summary 8/9.h4/ ffi: Playing a n early h2-h4- White fights for the advantage, but that can change a t any given moment. As soon as the game really starts Black has more playing resources, and therefore this sharp but risky advance is hardly relevant. -=:- update Blues Statistics 7 ... W'a4 Seven years later, we have approximately 2000 games =54-% in White's favour, com­ pared to the year 2008: about 800 games=53% (note that there are probably more games, as some of the positions arise by transposition). However, statistics are not the moral of our story, since Black achieves excellent counterplay in most of the lines - and often against stronger rivals. In fact, it is White who has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to achieve any theoretical advantage after 6 . . . 'iVa5 and 7 . . . 'lWa+. Epilogue My favourite line is the Blues Variation, which offers much more flexible play (for both sides) than, for example, the static Warsaw Variation or the dynamic Poisoned Pawn Variation (still, I really enjoyed exploring all those lines for The Wonderful Winawer).

317

Part Five

Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) 1 .e4 e6

i. � .t tv • .t � i. 1111 111 •1• • • 8 • 8888 888 :S ttJ � 'if � � ttJ .i::i:

Dedicated to the catena of Master Samurai Hattori Hanzo Directions In this last part, in order to complete this book on even more flexible French lines, we present a number of surprising but useful ideas in some popular lines of the French Defence. Chapter 22: How to break the symmetry in the Exchange Variation (COI) 1.e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.exdS exdS (Games 92-97); Chapter 23: The King's Indian Attack in the Closed Variation (COO-A08) 1.e4 e6 2.d3 dS (Games 98 and 99) ; Chapter 24: Weathering the kingside storm in the Alekhine-Chatard Attack (C14) 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.tLlc3 tiJf6 4.�gS �e7 S.eS tLlfd7 6.h4 0-0 (Game 1 00); Chapter 25: Kortchnoi's 'wedge' against the French Super Gambit (COO) 1 .e4 e6 2.tLlf3 dS 3.eS cS 4.b4 (Game 1 01); Chapter 26: An ancient, aggressive anti-French weapon: the Reti/Papa Gambit (COO) 1 .e4 e6 2.b3 dS 3 . .2.b2 (Games 102 and 1 03).

319

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

Chapter 22 - �- How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French) Sometimes French fans complain: 'By playing 3 .exdS, White can balance the position too much and take away all our winning chances.' This explanation sounds strange to me - there are still lots of pieces on the board! 1 .e4 es 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5

From the beginning, old masters like Paul Morphy, Mikhail Chigorin and other players looking for an open game used the Exchange Variation against the French Defence. In the 1 990's this variation was part of Garry Kasparov's repertoire. However, there is a clear truth: a line like this relieves Black of most of his opening problems. The game transposes into a symmetrical structure with the e-file as the only open file. It seems as if White is looking for a quick draw, but if we analyse certain games played by Alekhine, Nimzowitsch, Botvinnik, Petrosian, Short and other French experts, it is clear that not everyone managed to get the desired draw. If White wants to fight for an initiative, he can choose the advance c2-c4. However, in this case the symmetry is broken and the game is far from being balanced or boring! Black's Set-Ups On a theoretical level, long lines or clear paths do not exist in this vanatlon. Therefore, every French player must invest some time doing analytical work. In my opinion as a long-time French defender, Black has at least two or three playable set-ups to face White's natural moves : 1) Opening the position after...tllf6 with . . .c7-c5 (Game 9 2 : 4.�d3, 4.�f4 and 4.�f3), which is quite ambitious and similar to White's advance c2-c4 (Games 95 and 96). 2) In order to unbalance the game, Black can play ... tllc 6-�d6-tlle 7 and ... �g4/�f5 , preparing queenside castling after ... �d7/�d6 etc. (Games 93 and 94). 3) After 4.tllf3, certain experts like the pinning move 4 ... �g4 (Game 97). Both sides can try to bring their queen to the kingside: �f3/�h5 or ...�f6/�h4. 320

Chapter 22 - How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French): 3 .exd5 exd5

How to Break the Symmetry Games Personally, I have an excellent score against the early bishop move, 4. �d3 . White refuses to play the advance c2-c4, but keeps the possibility of �f3/YWh5. Black can response successfully with either of the above-mentioned ideas. In our first example we will check Black's counterplay with the advance ... c7-c5.

analysis diagram

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.exd5 exd5 4.�d3 Now the dynamic advance c2-c4 is delayed. Let's check two other moves for White: A) 4.�f4 tt::lf6!? 5 .tt::lf3 fle7 6.�d3 0-0 7.0-0 c5!?

8.dxc5 tt::lb d7 9.tt::lc 3 tt::lxc5 1 o.tt::lge2 d4! 1 1 .0-0-0 dxc3!+: Garcia Cano­ Moskalenko, Montcada 2004. 4 ... tllf6 Preparing ... c7-c5. 4 ...tt::lc 6!? is another critical line, see the next game. PLAN: The immediate advance � 4 ... c5!? (after 4 . .1ld3) is also a good idea. Here is a famous game: 5 .tt::lf3 tt::lc 6 6.'iWe2+ .1le7 7.dxc5 tt::lf6 8.h3?! 0-0 9.0-0 �xc5 1 0.c3 l:re8 l 1 .VWc2 'iWd6! .

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

8.dxc5 flxc5 9.tt::lbd2 tt::lc6 1 0 .tt::lb 3 .1lb6 l 1 .h3 tt::le 4 (1 1 ...lle8!?) 1 2 . flxe4?! (12. c4 �e6 1 3 .c5 .1lc7=) 12 ... dxe4 1 3.'iWxd8 .l:r.xd8 14.tt::lfd2 tt::lb4t (14... �e6!?+) 1 5 .tt::lxe4 tt::lxc2 (1 5 ... .1lf5!?) 16.l:!.adl �e6 1 7.tt::le c5 flxb3 1 8 .tt::lxb3 tt::lb4+ Fenollar Jorda-Moskalenko, Villa Salou 2006; B) 4.'iWf3 tt::lf6 (4 ...tt::lc 6!?) 5 . �g5 �e7 6.Ad3 o-o 7.h3 c5!?�

With the nasty threat to move the queen to g3. 12.tt::lb d2 �g3 ! 1 3. flfs .i:le2 14.tt::ld4 tt::lxd4 0-1 Tatai-Kortchnoi, Beer-Sheva 1 978. 5.l2Jf3 White first develops the king's bishop and knight - the two most used moves in this opening. PLAN: 5 .c3 c5!? 6.tt::le2 tt::lc 6 7.0-0 - � c4!.

GAME 92

Bernat Martinez Gutierrez (2057) Viktor Moskalenko (2509) Badalona 2001 ( 1 )

[f'l -

[fl

321

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

.t i

ltJ � 8 fj 8 : � 'iV

�----·� -

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

8.�c2 .2.d6 9. itf4 0-0 1 0 .ti:Jd2 (10.b3 bS 1 1 .a4 b4!+) 10 ... .2.g4 (10 ... .!:f.e8!?) 1 1 .f3 iths 1 2 .b3 bS (12 ... cxb3!? 1 3.axb3 .!:f.e8�) 1 3 . itxd6 (13 .a4 .2.xf4 14.ti:Jxf4 b4�) 1 3 ...'ti'xd6 14.a4 a6 1 5 .b4 itg6 1 6 . .i::te l ti:Jd7 1 7.aS .!:tfe8!+ Almagro Mazariegos-Moskalenko, Cullera 200 1 . 5 ...c5!?

8 ...ti:Jc6 9 . .2.gS ite6 (Black's position is quite nice. White cannot put real pres­ sure on the isolated pawn) 1 0.'ifd2 I;Ie8 1 1 .l:Iadl h6 1 2 . .2.M a6= Moskovic­ Short, England tt 200 1 /02. TRICK: 8.h3?! tlJc6 9.ti:Jbd2 'i:Vd6!.

E .t ii � 'if � i -._.�_

� 8 8 8 (jj : � i¥' analysis diagram

6.dxc5 An important alternative is 6.0-0!7 c4! 7. .l::i.e l+ .2.e7 8 . itfl 0-0 9.itgS!? (9.b3 cxb3 1 O.axb3 tlJc6 1 1 .c3 .2.fs� 1/2-1/2 Narciso Dublan-Moskalenko, Catalunya tt 2006) 9...ti:Jc6 10.ti:Jes .2.e6 (10 ...h6!? 1 1 .tlJxc6 bxc6+ Gaponenko-Moskalenko, Montcada 2007) 1 1 .ti:Jc3 .!:f.c8 1 2.ti:Je2 h6 1 3 . .2.M gS!?+ 14.itg3 tlJe4 1 5.c3 itf6 1 6 .tlJxc6 bxc6 1 7.f3 tlJxg3 1 8.ti:Jxg3 cS 1 9.ti:Je2 �b6+ Stevie-Vallejo Pons, Aix­ les-Bains Ech 201 1 . 6 ... .bc5 7.0-0 0-0 8.c3 8 .ti:Jc3 is probably the most accurate move order:

322

Introducing the well-known motif ... �g3 , making use of the pin. 10.ti:Jb3 �b6 1 1 .c3?! .2.xh3!-+ (1 1 ...l:i.e8!?) 1 2.gxh3 �g3+ 1 3 .'it>hl �xh3+ 14.ti:Jh2 (14.Wgl �g3+ 1 5 .Whl .2.xf2+) 14 ... ti:Jes 1 5.�e2 ti:Jf3! 16 . .2.f40 (16 . .2.xf3? �c7) 1 6 ...ti:Jh4 l 7. .2.f3 (1 7. .l::i.g l ti:Je4!) 1 7...ti:JhS! 1 8 . .2.g3? �xg3 !-+ 0 - 1 Lhagvasuren­ Ulibin, Cheliabinsk 1 99 1 . 8 ... tt:Jc6 9. �f4 Now the 9.�gS pin is even worse for White: 9... h6 1 0 . .2.M gS! 1 l . �g3 ti:Je4t 12.ti:Jes (12.b4 .2.b6 1 3 .bs tlJe7 14 . .2.es ti:Jg6 15.�d4 .2.g4 16.�c2 �xf3 1 7.�xb6 �d7! 1 8.gxf3 �h3 19.itxe4 ti:Jf4 0-1

Chapter 22

-

How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French): 3 .exd5 exd5

Chanoine-Libiszewski, Montpellier 2007) 12 ... tt:Jxg3 1 3.tLlxc6 bxc6 14.hxg3 �d6!? 15.Whl g4!? 16.tLld2? £.xf2! 17. .l:!.xf2 'li'xg3+ Viela-Lysyj, Zurich 2010. 9 ... ttJe4 1 0.tllbd2 i:r.ee

1 8 ... h5! 1 9.h4 tt:Jes+. 1 9. 'ifd1 h5 20.h4 d4 21 .cxd4 tllxd4 2 1 ...£.aS!? 22.J::i'.c2 .l:!.cd8+. 22 . .te4 tllf5 23. bfS 'ifxf5

.i .t. .t. �

.

• •

An ideal position for a dynamic black player right after the opening. 1 1 . tllb3?! This typical manoeuvre is too slow here. White wants to control d4, but the knight on e4 now becomes a powerful piece. Better was 1 1 .�c2 �f6!? 12.£.e3 £.xe3 1 3 .fxe3 �el 14.!lael £.d7+:t. 1 1 ... .tb6 1 2. 'ifc2 Or, 1 2 .tLlfd4 �f6! 1 3 . £.e3 tLle5 14.£.e2 tLlc4!? 1 5 . £.xc4 dxc4+ Niubo Arenas­ Moskalenko, Catalunya 200 1 . 1 2 ... 'iff6t

.i .t .t. .t. .t �

24. 'ii'b 3? This allows Black to effectively finish the game. Better was 24.g2 .l:ied8f. 0-1 24 ... 'ifh3! 25.f4 l:r.e3!

Summary: Against the early bishop move 4.£.d3 (also 4.£.f4 and 4.'li'f3), the counterplan with ...tLlf6 and ... c7-c5 is an attempt for Black to unbalance the position and play for more than equality. Against both 4.£.d3 and 4.tLlf3, Black has a more solid idea in 4... tLlc6 (the next two games are an update of my earlier book The Flexible French) .

The Kung Fu Fight The symmetry that occurs after 3 .exd5 exd5 does not guarantee White a quiet life, but only if you learn to play in 'kung fu' fashion with black. After 4.tLlf3, it is possible to immediately break the sym­ metry with 4... tLlc6!?, unbalancing the game. This move promises Black rich piece play.

.t.

Cjj 8 � 8 8 V/I/ g

�� Cjj 888 g \it.

1 3 . .tg3?

� 1 3.£.e3.

1 3 ... .tfS 1 3 ... £.g4!?+. 1 4. l:r.ad1 l:r.ac8 1 6. tllbd2 tllxd2 1 8.gxf3 g6

GAME 93

1 5. 'ifb1 1 7. l:r.xd2

.tg4! .txf3

Fernando Braga (2444) Viktor Moskalenko (2509) Barbera 2001 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.tllf3

323

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

f�l

PLAN: Quiet development does

�� not offer White much: 4.�d3

tl:Jc6!? 5.c3 (5.ti:Jf3 �d6 - main game) 5 ... �d6 6.�f3 (6.ti:Jf3 tl:Jge7!? - main game) 6 ...tl:Jce7!? 7.�f4 ti:Jf6 8 .h3 �xf4! 9.�xf4 0-0 IO.ti:Je2 tl:Jg6 1 1 .�h2? .l::l.e 8 1 2.0-0 �.f5! 1 3 . �xfS .l:i.xe2+ Kovacs-Kortchnoi, Sarajevo 1 969.

4 ... ttJc6! ?

1 3 . �e3 ti:Jds 14.�a4 �b8 1 5.a3 ti:Jb6 (15 ... a6!?) 16.ti:Jxb6 axb6 1 7.l:!.adl �ds+ White is passive with an isolated pawn, Rojas-Moskalenko, Sitges 2008. 6 ... tllge7! Preparing either the strategic exchange with ... �f5, or an aggressive plan with ... �g4/. .. �d7 followed by queenside castling. 7. 'ifc2 .ig4! 8. lllbd2 'ifd7 9.0-0 .ifS!=

•

tt.J 888 888 n tt.J il 'ii1' � � n This symmetrical 'Kung fu move' of the knight allows Black to unbalance the game. 5 . .id3 S.�b5!? would lead to a Ruy Lopez hy­ brid, see next game. The advance 5.c4 transposes to Games 95 and 96. 5 ... .id6! 6.c3 Here is a more recent game of mine: 6.0-0 tl:Jge7 7.1':!.el �g4 8 .c3 �d7 9.ti:Jbd2 �f5 (9... 0-0=) 1 0 . �xfS �xfS 1 l .c4 dxc4 1 2.tl:Jxc4 0-0-0!?

analysis diagram

3 24

Black has solved his opening problems. However, the middlegame, and even the endgame, still offers rich play. 1 O . .l:.e1 .ixd3 1 1 . 'ifxd3 0-0-0! ? The most aggressive continuation. 1 1 ...0-0 is equal. 1 2.b4 'iffS! ? 1 3.'ifxfS+ 1 3.�fl ?! �c2! . 1 3 . . . lllxfS 1 4. lllb3 l:tde8 1 5. .id2 f6!=F

This move is very useful in this structure, since it cuts off some options for White's king's knight and dark-squared bishop.

Chapter 22

-

How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French): 3 .exdS exdS

1 6.b5 tt:Jd8 1 7. 'ifi>f1 h5! l 7... g5!?.

1 8.h4 If 18.�xe8 .tl'.xe8 19 . .tl'.el .l::re4+. 1 8 ... :e4! 1 9.a4 .J:the8 20.g3 b6!+ 21 .:ec1 tt:Jf7 22.c4?! dxc4 23.:Xc4

30.'ifi>g2 tt:Jxf3 31 . tt:Jxf3 l:[g4 32.tt:Jh2 l:[b4 33.:S2 l:[g8 34.'ifi>h3 .:J.e4 35.l:[d3 @d7 36.tt:Jf1 h4! 37.gxh4 l:[hB 38. 'ifi>g2 .J:texh4 39.aS??T However, after 39. .tl'.al .tl'.g8+ 40.Wf2 .ld.gg4 4l .a5 .tl'.b4 Black also wins. 39... l:[h2+ 0-1

Obviously, the move 4.tllf3 is more flexible for White. For instance, against 4...tt::lc6 he can start Ruy Lopez play with 5.iilb5. GAME 94

Francisco Esteban Moreno Viktor Moskalenko (2509) 23 ... g5t There was a tactical win with 23 ... iilxg3! 24.fxg3 .lle 3!. 24.hxg5 fxg5 25.bg5 25.tt::lxg5 tt::lxg5 26.iilxg5 .i::i.f8 !-+. 25 ... tt:Jxg3+!

• l

l l 8 8

*

� :! 8 :I

0i :!

:I

Valencia 2001 ( 1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.exdS exdS 4.tt:Jf3 tt:Jc6 5. �b5

� �l 0i � 8 <;ti

PUZZLE: A question for the reader: what square did this knight come from, g8 or b8?

26.fxg3 tt:Jxgs 27.:c3 After 2 7.tt::lxg5 .tl'.f8+ 28.Wg2 .l::l:e 3 Black must win. 21 ... :ta 2e. �2 If 28.<1Jbd2 .£ilb4. 28 ... :g4! 29.tt:Jbd2 .lbd4 29 ... .£ilb4! was even stronger.

This can lead to a Ruy Lopez hybrid. 5 ... tt:Jge7!? After 5 ... ikd6 6.c4! is slightly annoying for Black (few winning chances) : 6 ... dxc4 7.d5 a6 8.iila4 b5 9.dxc6 bxa4 10.0-0 tlle 7 l 1 .tllbd2!? (1 1 .�xa4 .l::!.b 8!?) 1 1 ...0-0 (1 1 ...iile6!? 1 2.�xa4 c3+:t) 1 2 .tllxc4 tt::lxc6 1 3 .�xa4 iilb7 14. �g5;;!; Gonzalez Perez-Moskalenko, Sitges 201 0. 6.0-0 A) 6.�e2 �d6!?; B) 6.tt::le 5 leads to a 'double' Exchange Variation (French/Ruy Lopez), but here it favours Black: 325

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

analysis diagram

6 ... a6 7.�xc6+ (7.'li'f3 �e6 8.�xc6+ tllxc6 9.tllxc6 bxc6 1 0.'li'g3 �d6!? 1 1 .'li'xg7 Wd7!f; or 7.�hS �e6 8.tllxc6 tllxc6 9. .2.xc6+ bxc6 1 0.0-0 'li'f6 1 1. .!:!'.el .2.d6+ Kruppa-Moskalenko, Lviv 1 984) 7...tllxc6 8.0-0 tllxeS 9.�e2 .2.e7 10.'iYxeS 0-0 1 1 .iV'g3 �fs 12. �f4 c6 1 3 .c3 �b6+ Alcazar Jimenez­ Moskalenko, Roquetas Mar 2004. 6 ...a6 7 . .i.a4! ? The most logical response. 7.�d3 �fS! 8 .�f4 (8.!:!'.e l 'li'd7) 8 ...�d7 9.tllb d2 �xd3 1 0.cxd3 tllg6 1 1 .�g3 .2.e7 1 2 .tlle s tllgxeS 1 3 .dxeS 0-0= Yakovenko­ CapNemo, ECU Internet-ch 2006. 7 ... �g4 An interesting alternative is 7... bS!? 8 . �b3 g6! 9 . .l::te l .2.g7 and Black has good chances for successful counterplay. 8.c3 'ifd6!?

:i .t.

.t. .t.

41 'ii'

• 1.. :i 41 .t. .t. .t.

9.!:!'.el 0-0-0; 9.tllb d2 0-0-0; 9.h3 �hS 1 0.l:rel 0-0-0. 9...f6 1 0.1'..h 4 tllfS 1 0 ... 0-0-0!?. 1 1 .l:re1 + 1'..e7 1 2.hc6+?! 12.iV'd3 g6 (12 ...�d7=) 1 3 .tllbd2 0-0-0oo (1 3 ... 0-0=). 12 ... 'ifxc6 1 3. 'ifd3 'Wb5! 1 3 ...'li!Vd7!? � ... 0-0-0. 1 4. 'Wxb5+ axbS+ 1 5. 1'..g3 1 5 .tllb d2 Wd7 1 6 .h3 .2.xf3 1 7.tllxf3 b4+. 1 5 ... 1'..xf3 1 6.gxf3 'iti>d7

The endgame is strategically winning for Black. 1 7. tlld2 h5! 1 8.h4 1 8 .h3 b4+. 1 8 ... .i.d6 1 8 ...b4!?. 1 9. g2 b4! 20.tllf 1 bxc3 21 .bxc3 l:rheB! 22.l:rxeB l:rxeB 23.l:rb1 b6 24. l:rb2 .l:l.e1 25.f4

.t. 8

8 88 1::t ttJ i.'iV 9. 1'..g S?! This pseudo-active move only helps Black.

326

A dramatic 'stalemate' position for the white bishop.

Chapter 22

-

How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French) : 3 .exd5 exd5

25 ... l:.c1 26.l:.b3 l:.c2 27.@f3 .:.Xa2 28.llJe3 lbxe3 29.@xe3 f5 30.@d3 .:.a1 31 .@c2 @c6 32.l:.b1 .:.Xb1 33.@xb1 @bS 34.@b2 @c4 35. @c2 bS 0-1

Summary Games 92-94:

Despite everything, the move order with 4.tllf3 does not change much in the lines where White does not play c2-c4. It is not too late for White to revert to aggressive mode with 4/5.c4. Indeed, this is a typical idea for both sides in the Exchange Variation! There are three options for the black king's bishop: ... .tb4, ... £.e7!? (Game 96) or in some lines even ... £.d6. GAM E 95

Boris Spassky (2551 ) Viktor Kortchnoi (2643) Zurich 2001 (3)

In the previous century, we can find many games with the French Defence between these two players. But this was the first time that Spassky played the Exchange Variation. Maybe it was a special surprise for Viktor's birthday. However, Kortchnoi shows the best way to play for Black. 1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4. ti:Jf3 ti:Jf6 A waiting move: if 5 . .td3 c5!?. A similar set-up is with 4...tllc 6.

analysis diagram

In the main game Black does with­ out this move. 5.c4 tllf6 6 . .td3 £.b4+ 7.tllc 3 0-0 8.0-0 £.g4!? 9. .te3 ne8 IO.h3 .ths I I .cs (1 i . nc1 dxc4 1 2 . .txc4 'ifd7 1 3.a3 £.xc3!? 14.bxc3 tlla S!�) I I ....txc3 1 2.bxc3 tlle 4� Gaponenko­ Moskalenko, Tenerife (rapid) 2004. 5.c4!?

This is the modern and dynamic set-up for White in the Exchange Variation. 5 ... .tb4+ This looks like the most logical move, winning several tempi. However, Black has to quickly take profit from this, as on b4 the bishop may become useless. For the solid set-up 5 ... .te7!? see the next game. 6.t2Jc3 Obviously, 6 . .2.dl?! is too passive: 6 ... £.xdl+ 7.�xd2 0-0+ Alvarez Diaz­ Moskalenko, El Sauzal (rapid) 2003. 6... 0-0 The tactical idea 6 ...tlle4? does not work: 7.'i¥b3 �el 8 . .te3±. 7 . .te2 7. .td3 is similar: 7... ne8+ 8 . .te3 dxc4 (8 ...tllg4?! 9.0-0!) 9.£.xc4 £.e6 transposes to the main game. 7 ...dxc4 8.hc4 8.0-0 .te6!? 9.tllgs .tfs IO . .txc4 tllc6 1 I . .te3 �d7�. e ... .:.ee+ Preparing ... .te6.

tfl"- WEAPON: 8 ... tllc 6!?. 327

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

.t � 8 tlJ tlJ 888 88 bl'. ll � 'if � analysis diagram

Simplifications vs. the isolated pawn. 1 0 . .be6 lhe6 1 1 .0-0 tl:lbd7 1 2. 'ifb3 a5!? Less good is 1 2 ... £.xc3 1 3 .bxc3 .l::!.b 6 14.'iic2;;!;; and White is comfortable (c2c4), Fernandez Aguado-Moskalenko, Barcelona 2007. 1 3.dS A) 1 3 .a3 £.xc3 14.bxc3 a4!=; B) 1 3 .tlJgS l:!'.e7= Rodriguez Martin­ Laurent, Belgium tt 2007/08 . 1 3 . . . .l:r.eB=

This is a bit more aggressive, with posi­ tive results for Black, for example: 9.0-0 �g4 1 0 . £.e3 �d6 1 1 . £.e2 �fe8+:t Miezis-Kazhgaleev, Dresden Olympiad 2008. 9. i.e3 i.e6!

.t � 8 tlJ � tt:J 8 £::, 888 ll ll 'ii �

After some fairly accurate play the position is balanced, so this time both players are happy. 1 4. .l:r.fd1 i.d6 1 5. tllbS tl:lcS 1 6.'ifc2 b6 1 7 . .J:.ac1 'iid7 1 8. tl:lxd6 cxd6 1 9.a3 19. £.d4 tt:lfe4=. 1 9 ... a4 20.h3 .i:r.aca 20 ...tt:Jb3!?. 21 . 'ife2 'iff5 22. tlld4 'ifg6 23. 'iff3 tl:lfd7 24. 'iff5 tl:les 25. 'ifxg6 hxg6 26. tl:lbS .l:r.cd8 27 . .l:r.c2 112-112 GAME 96

Dragoljub Velimirovic (2525) Wolfgang Uhlmann (2555) Skopje 1 976 ( 1 )

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.exdS exdS 4.c4

* Viktor Kortchnoi.

328

PUZZLE: Another possible move order is 4.tt:lf3 �d6!? 5 .c4 tlJf6 6.tbc3 dxc4 7.£.xc4.

Chapter 22

-

How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French): 3 .exdS exdS

ii 8 ttJ

ttJ 888 88 : � ii 'ti' � analysis diagram

The same position can arise from the Queen's Gambit Accepted. 7... 0-0 8.0-0 tllc6 9.h3 (9.nel !?) 9...h6 1 0.�c2 (10 . .l::!:e l l:le8! Moskalenko-Navara, Catalunya tt 201 1) 1 0 ...tlias (10 ...tllb 4!?) 1 i . gd3 ge6 12.�el (12.tlle s cS 1 3.ge3= I.Rajlich-Kosic, Budapest 2007) I 2 ...tllc 6 13.a3 1:1e8= Sylvan-Semcesen, Borup 2010. 4... tl:if6 5.tl:ic3 .ie7!?

.l 88 ttJ

888 88 : ii 'ti' cJt ii ttJ : I think this is the safest square for the king's bishop. 6.tl:if3 o-o 7 . .ie3 c6 /fl"- WEAPON: 7... �e6!? 8 .cxdS tllxdS 9.�d3 tllc6 1 0.0-0 tllc b4!? 1 1 .�bl tllxe3 !2.fxe3 cS= Ksieski-Swic, Lodz 1 984.

A more recent game confirms the con­ clusions of the classics: 14.'ti'f3 tlld 7 (14 ...tllc 7!?) (14... h6!?) 1 5 . gxe7 tlixeS!? (1 5 ... rlxe7=) 1 6.dxeS tllxe7 1 7. gc2 'l:!fc7= Aroshidze-Moskalenko, Cala Millar rapid 2010. 1 4... 'ifas 1 s. 'ii'f3 .l:.adB 16 . .l:.ad1 .ib4 1 7. tl:ixdS .ixd5 1 8.hdS 'ifxd5

.l .l

• .l .l .l .l � 'iV ttJ ii .i. 8 'ti' 88 888 : : cJt :i :i

Black's position is slightly more pleasant, however: 1 9 . .ixf6?? ;:::>: 1 9.�e3. 19 ... gxf6 20. 'ii'xf6 l:td6! 21 .tl:id7 he1 0-1

Summary c2-c4: The arising positions are quite similar to the Queen's Gambit Accepted (some­ times with an extra tempo for Black), and there is not more than equality for White in almost all the natural lines. The favourite option by GMs Short and M.Gurevich is the somewhat premature pin with 4.tllf3 �g4. After 5.h3 ghs 6.'ti'e2+ Black has two responses: 7...'ti'e7 and 7... tlle 7?!. GAME 97

8 . .id3 dxc4 9 . .ixc4 tl:ibd7 1 0.0-0 tl:ib6 1 1 . .ib3 tl:ibd5 1 2. tl:ieS .ie6 1 3 . ..tgs .l:.eB 1 3 ... h6 14.gh4 �e8=. 1 4 . .l:.e1

Garry Kasparov (2770) Nigel Short (2660) Tilburg 1 991 (6)

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.tl:if3 .ig4

329

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) position i s still closed, Bareev-Short, Paris (rapid) 1 9 9 1 . 7. i..e3 llJc 6 8.llJc3 0-0-0 9.g4 i..g6 1 0.0-0-0

5.h3 i..h 5 S ... �xf3 6.�xf3;;!;. 6.'it'e2+! ?

-

PUZZLE: 6.�e2 �d6 (6 ...tiJc6 can lead to the previous set-ups) 7.tLleS?! �xe2 8 .'ii'xe2 tLle7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 . .if4 l::i.e 8 l l .'lWg4 �xeS 12.�xeS tLlg6= and Black even won this important game, M. Gurevich-Short, Manila izt 1 990.

6 ... 'it'e7!? Probably the best defence. In my opinion, the alternative 6 ...tLle7...

I think this position is nearly equal, but almost all the pieces are still on the board! 1 0 ...f6 The most popular move, preventing tbes. If lO ...tiJb4?! 1 I .ld.d2!±. I like the concept of 10 ...'lWe8, but White seems to be better after l l .a3! (1 1 .tLleS �b4!+2 Kasparov-Bukal, Zagreb simul 1 994) l 1 ...tLlf6 1 2 .tLld2! Chlost-Jedynak, Polanica Zdroj 2001 . 1 1 .a3 'it'd7 Mikhail Gurevich once tried 1 1 ...'li'e8 12.iY'd2 tLlge7 1 3.lLlh4 �f7 14.�d3 Wb8 15.ld.hel hS= Rendle-M.Gurevich, Gibraltar 2007. 1 2.llld 2

analysis diagram

... is worse, since Black avoids the exchange of queens, but ties up his pieces: 7.tLlc3

� TRICK: 7.'lWbs+?! tiJbc6 is not W good for White: 8 .'lWxb7? .l:i.b8

9.'lWa6 �xf3 1 0.gxf3 tLlxd4+. 7...tLlbc6 8.g4 .ig6 9.�f4f White is clearly better developed. However, the 330

1 2 .. .fS!? Preparing ...tLlg8-f6. 12 ... hS!?. 1 3. lllb3 lllf6 1 4.f3 i..d6

Chapter 22 - How to Break the Symmetry (the Exchange French) : 3 .exd5 exd5 14 ... a6 1 5 .'tWd2 �d6 16.tt:'ia4oo Yakovich­ Asrian, Moscow 2007. 1 5. 'fld2 .:he8?! 15 ... a6!?=. 1 s . .tgs 16.tt:'ib5!?. 1 S .. .fxg4 1 7.hxg4 'flf7 1 8. lLib5 ..tribe 18 ... a6!? 1 9.tt:'ixd6+ nxd6 20. �f4 nde6 2 1 .tt:'ics n6e7oo. 1 9. lLixdS cxdS 20 . .td3 .txd3 21 . 'flxd3 hS 22 . .td2 :es 23. tras ttJxas 24. has .:dee 25 . .td2;t lLid7 2S. .:de1 lLif8 27 . .:XeS .:XeS 28.:lhS .:ts 29.t4;t

29... ttJes 30.fS ttJde 31 .b4 tLics 32.bS lLie7 33.a4 tLice 34.aS 'flee 35 . .:h3 .:11 3S.l:l.e3 .:e7 37. .:Xe7 'flxe7 38. 'flf3 'flf7 39. .tb4 ..tr>c7 40.'flc3+ @de 41 .'flf3 @c7 42.@d2 @de 43 . ..tr>d1 'ifr>c7 44. .te1 lLie7 45.aS bS 4S.i.h4 g5 47. i.f2 'flfS 48. 'flh1 @d7 49.c4 @ea 50.@d2 'ifr>f7 51 .cxdS @g7 52. @d3 'flf7 53 . .tg3 'flee 54. @c4 lLixf5 55.gxfS 'fle2+ 5S.@c3 'fle3+ 57.@c4 'fle2+ 58.@c3 Draw agreed .

Summary of the line 4. tlJf3 �g4:

This is a quite interesting solution for Black, looking for a way to immediately unbalance the position. However, I prefer to follow the classical rule: first develop the knights (in our case 4...tt:'if6 or 4...tt:'ic6), and then the bishops.

Conclusion about the Exchange Variation: The symmetry that arises after 2.exd5 exdS never guarantees White a quiet life. As the legendary Bobby Fischer used to say: 'In symmetrical positions the player who makes the first mistake loses the game.' If this is the case, we just have to wait! Nowadays the Exchange Variation is hardly played at the highest level and it is easy to understand why: in the opening the possibilities are equivalent in these structures. IfWhite plays for a draw in solid mode, i.e. without the advance c2-c4, Black can try either of the three basic ideas offered in this chapter: 1 ) . . . tt:'if6 and . . . c7 -c5 ; 2) the plan . . . tt:'ic6 and trying to castle queenside; 3) the early pin 4. tt:Jf3 �g4. If White plays the modern advance 4/5.c4 (as in Games 95 and 96) the game be­ comes a bit sharper (for both sides!) and promises rich piece play. Of course, this factor is not a real threat for the French Defence in itself.

� Statistics My personal statistics with black against the Exchange Variation: 1 3 wins, 1 6 draws, 4 losses. 33 1

Part Five - SurpriseWeaporu for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

Chapter 23

-

King's Indian Attack

1 .e4 es 2.d3 d5

l�l

PLAN: In the King's Indian Attack with l .e4 e6 2.d3, White's plan is based on

l:::g' an attack on the king side, but he needs to close the centre first.

The following games present you with two fighting possibilities for Black in two main lines: Game 98: In the Barcza System with 3.°iWe2, Black can take a chance with the new gambit 9.. b5!?; Game 99: In the main line with 3.t2Jd2, where play develops slowly, Black can increase the pressure on the eS-pawn by first fianchettoing the �g7 and the �b7, and then launching the surprising 'Black Jet' 1 1 . gS!?, a radical concept that can lead to very sharp play. .

..

332

Chapter 23 - King's Indian Attack: 2 .d3 dS GAME 98

Dmitry Svetushkin (2597) Andrey Zhigalko (2582) Eilat tt 201 2 (5)

1 .e4 e6 PUZZLE: In this game the move order was l . ..cS 2.tllf3 e6 3 .d3 tllc 6 4.g3 dS S .'ife2, so a trans­ position from the Sicilan Defence is possible. 2.d3 dS 3. 'ife2

*

The key moment. Black must find some chances quickly: 9. . bS!? A very interesting new idea (total 1 2 games) , developed in blitz practice by Ukrainian GM Anton Korobov. 9 ...d4?! would be a strategic mistake, since the blocked centre offers Black no counter­ play. 9 ... dxc4 1 0.dxc4 tlld4!?. .

analysis diagram

This is known as the Barcza System. 3 ... tllf6 A natural move. In my opinion, the best plan consists in bringing the king to a safe place first and then trying to get some activity. 4. tllf3 ii.e7 5.g3 cs 6.ii.g2 tllc6 7.0-0 0-0 8.eS! According to the main concept - closing the centre. 8 ... tlld 7 9.c4 With the idea of bringing the knight into the game via c3.

This knight jump to the centre was investigated in The Flexible French. 1 1 .tllxd4 (1 1 .'fVe4? fS! 1 2.exf6 tllxf6 1 3."tl!Yd3 eS!t) l 1 ...cxd4 1 2 . .i::rd 1 "tl!Yb6 1 3 .tlld 2 with mutual chances, largely depending on what happens with the black d4-pawn. 1 0.cxbS A) 1 0 .tllc 3!? bxc4 l l .dxc4 �a6 (1 1 ... d4!?) 1 2 .b3=F D.Popovic-Perunovic, Sarajevo 2013; B) 1 0.cxdS exdS l 1 .tllc 3 tllb 6 1 2 .tllxbS a6!? 1 3 .tllc 3 �g4! 14.h3 tlld4 1 5 .'li'dl tllxf3+ 16 . .2.xf3 �xh3= Bokros­ Banusz, Zalakaros 2014. 1 0... tllaS !gg

333

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) The critical position of the gambit: 8 games=+3 for Black. The plan is very easy here, and it resembles the Volga/ Benko Gambit. 1 1 . ltJc3 A) The stem game went 1 1 .d4?! a6!t 1 2.dxcS �xcS 1 3 .lt:Jc3 axbS 14.�gS �b6 1 5 .�xbS? �xbS 1 6.lLixbS �a6 1 7.a4 lt:Jb3 1 8 . .l:f.adl ..txbS 1 9.axbS .l:f.fb8, the endgame is winning for Black, Paragua-Korobov, Beijing blitz 2008; B) The attacking move 1 1.h4?! is now just a waste of time: 1 l ...a6! 12.bxa6 �xa6t Bologan-Korobov, Warsaw blitz 201 1 . ,_.,,,.. WEAPON: 1 I .lt:Jfd2!? a6!?

analysis diagram

1 2.a4 lt:Jb6 (12 ... axbS!? 1 3.axbS ..tb?g?) 1 3 .b3 axbS 14.axbS lLic6! (14 ... ..td?g? Svetushkin-Kryvoruchko, Linares tt 2014) 1 5.l:rxa8 lt:Jd4 1 6 .'ti'g4 lLixa8 1 7.lt:Jf3 lt:Je2+ 18.@hl lt:Jxcl 1 9. .l:f.xcl �d7 with a wonderful game for Black. 1 1 ... aS! 1 2 . .tf4 axb5 1 3. lbxbS .tas 1 4. ltJc3 ltJc6!

1 5.l:tfd1 ? ! 1 5 .h4!? �b6 (15 ...ltJd4!?g? Khasangatin­ Sapunov, Tula 2002) 16 . .!::f.fdl .!::tfb8 (16 ... lLib4!?g? Garrido Fernandez-Pardo Simon, Barcelona 2013) 1 7.l:rabl lt:Jd4 1 8.'f!Vd2 �b7 1 9.b3 (19.ltJh2 lt:Jc6 20.'f!Ve2 d4!?t Glek-Ducarmon, Belgium tt 2013/14) 19 ... �c6 20.hS l:ra3 2 1 .l:rb2 .i::f.ba8 22.lLibl lt:Jxf3+ 23.�xf3 .l:i.3a6g? Grujic-Miladinovic, Palic tt 2014. 1 5 ... gS!t White allowed the Black Jet! 15 ... lt:Jd4!?. 1 6 . .tc1 g4! 1 7.ttJe1 ltJdxe5+

After winning the key pawn on eS, Black dominates. 1 8. .thS :ea 1 9.f4 gxf3 20.lbxf3 .tts 21 . lbxes lbxe5 22 . .tf4 tt::ig s

Ukrainian GM Anton Korobov: the best blitz novelty against the Barcza System.

334

Chapter 23 - King's Indian Attack: 2.d3 dS 23 . ..thG :be 24.:ac1 'ifas 25. 'ifc2 tbe5 26.h3 i.xd3!-+ Nice tactic. 27.:Xd3 :Xb2! 28. 'ii'd 1 lbxd3 'iVd4 29. 'ifxd3 'iVb4 30. �h1 0-1 31 . 'ifa6 'iff2

Now White cannot play moves like h2h3 or �gs. 14.�d3 �xf3 (14 ... �fS!?) 1 5.�xf3 (1 S .°iVxf3 a4! with the idea 16.�xdS? 'iYxdS 1 7.�xdS 0-0 1 8 . �xc6 ll:lxc6 1 9.ll:ld2 ll:les+) 1 5 ... a4! 16.lLld2 0-0 1 7.�g2 lLleS!+ and Black won easily, Kogan-Moskalenko, Barcelona 2000.

GAME 99

German Kochetkov (2295) Viktor Moskalenko (2535) Alushta 1 994 (9)

1 .e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.ttJd2

9.c3 The most popular move.

The main move for White. 3 ... c5 4.tllgf3 tllc6 5.g3 g6!? A fianchetto against a fianchetto. S ...ll:lf6 is the classical response. 6 . ..tg2 ..tg7 7.0-0 tllge7 e.:e1 b6 /fl"'- WEAPON: Including the move 8 ... h6!? is quite useful: 9.h4 (9.exdS exdS! 10.d4 cxd4 1 1 .lLlb3 .tg4 1 2 .h3 �xf3 1 3.'i¥xf3 0-0oo) 9...b6 1 0.a3 (10.exdS exdS! l l .d4 �g4!?) 10 ... aS 1 1 .exdS exdS! 12.d4 cxd4 1 3.ll:lb3 .ig4!.

/fl"'- WEAPON: 9.exdS!? has recently come into fashion: 9 ...ll:lxdS (or else 9...exdS!? 1 0.d4!? cxd4 l I .ll:lb3 .ig4+:t) 10.d4!? (10.ll:lc4 has been played several times: 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .lLlfeS �b7 1 2.ll:lxc6 ]lxc6 1 3 .ll:les �xeS! 14 . .ld'.xeS V!id6 1 5 . .l:rel eS=) 1 0 ... cxd4 l I .ll:lb3

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

l l ...�b7 (1 1 ...0-0!? 1 2.ll:lbxd4 ll:lxd4 1 3 .ll:lxd4 �a6!= 14.ll:lc6 �c7 1 5.�xdS exdS 16.ll:le7+ �h8 1 7.lLlxdS �c8g? Safarli-Moiseenko, Troms0 ol 2014) 12 .lLlfxd4 0-0 (12 ...ll:lxd4? 1 3.ll:lxd4 .l::!.c 8 335

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) 14 . .l::!.x e6+! fxe6? 1 5 .tllx e6t Komliakov­ Moskalenko, Noyabrsk 1 995) 1 3 .tllxc6 �xc6 14.tlld4 �a4!=. 9.eS?! is premature, in view of the weak­ ness of the eS-pawn: 9...VJfic7 lO.VJfie2 h6 l 1 .h4 gS! with active counterplay:

• '

• j_ • 'if � j. j_ ' '" ' ''� ' ti 8 Cjj 8 8 8 8 Cjj W/ 8 !Jl,, bl ii. bl �

A radical concept, inviting the exchange of White's central pawn. l l ...�a6 is the usual move, but after 1 2 .tllfl , with a closed centre Black has no clear way to create counterpay - have another look at the introduction. 1 2.tbxgS A) 1 2 . �h3?! seems to be bad: 1 2 ... h6 1 3 . �g4 tllg 6 14.d4 cxd4 1 5.cxd4 tllb 4!+ T.Gustafsson-Murugan, Gausdal 1 9 9 1 ; B) I f 1 2 .h3 tllg 6 1 3 .tllfl tllcxeS 1 4.tllxgS (Fernandez Aguado-De la Riva Aguado, Barcelona 1 993/94) 14 .. .f6 (14 ... �a6!?) 1 5 .tllf3 �a6t. 1 2 ... 'f!ixes !

analysis diagram

1 2.hxgS hxgS 1 3 .tllxgS 'Mixes!+ Yandemirov-Moskalenko, Baku 1 984. 9 ... 0-0 We have arrived at the key position of this line with two fianchettos. /fl"'- WEAPON: The alternative 9 ... h6!? is still playable: 1 0.h4 (1 0.exdS tllxdS!?) (10.d4 cxd4 l 1 .tllxd4 tllxd4 12.cxd4 0-0= 1 3 .eS 1/2-1/2 Reyes Larena-Moskalenko, Benidorm 2008) 10 ... �b7!? (another idea is 10 ... dxe4 l l .dxe4 �a6 12.VJfia4 �d3oo Varavin-Moskalenko, Alushta 1 994) 1 1 .exdS tllxdS 1 2 .tllc4 0-0 1 3 .tllfeS tllxeS 14.tllxeS VJfic7 1 5.VJfie2 .l:i.ad8= Zolnierowicz-Moskalenko, Orange 1 990. 1 0.eS 'f!ic7 1 1 . 'ife2 gS!?

• '

336

i. •• if 'S i 1.. i '" ' j. ' 8

8 88 8 8 Cjj 'J/ii 8 il 8 bl il bl � The moment has come to take some tough decisions. 1 3.ttJde4! A creative reply, but also a forced move, which leads to a sharp fight. If 1 3 .f4? �xe2 14 . .l:i.xe2 �a6+ Hohn-Pedersen, Duisburg jr 1 992; or 1 3 .'tWxeS tllxeS 14.�fl �a6 1 5 .d4 �xfl+. 1 3 ... tllgG? This move allows White to initiate a strong attack. A) If Black accepts the material with 13 ... dxe4, then: 14.�f4!? (14.'tWhS? is weak: 14 ... h6 1 5 .�f4 �f6 16.�xe4 e5!-+ Berry-Gershon, Dresden 2003) 14 ...VJfif6 and now the engine gives the wonderful variation 1 5.�xe4 (15.tllx h7 @xh7 16.�xe4+ @g8 1 7.VJfihS tllfS! 18.�xc6 e5! 19.�xa8 exf4�) 1 5 ...

Chapter 23 es 16.�xh7+ @h8 1 7.'iYhs (1 7.tlJe4? 'i¥e6 1 8 .'iVhs 'i¥g4!-+) 1 7... �g4! 1 8 .'iVM (18.'i¥xg4 exf4 l 9.�e4 'i¥h6+:t) l 8 ... jlh6! 1 9.l:txeS! tbxeS 20.�xeS 'iYxeS 21 .'i¥xh6 'i¥g7 22.'iYM f6= and White has a perpetual. /fl*- WEAPON: 13 ...'i¥c7!? is the best try to keep on playing: 14.tbxh7 dxe4 1 S.tbxf8 exd3oo 1 6 .tbxe6 jlxe6 1 7.°iYxd3 tbes 1 8.'YWe2 .t:l.f8 1 9.jlf4 tb7g6oo. 1 4. llJxh7! The game has gone berserk and there are many tactical possibilities. 14.f4!? Wic7 1 5 .'iYhs (or first 1 5.fS) 1 5 ... h6 1 6.fS! exfS 1 7.tbf6+ �xf6 1 8 . �xdSi 14.'iVhS!? leads to the same line. 1 4 ... @xh7 14... dxe4 1 5.tbxf8 @xf8 1 6.M!i. 1 5.f4!

1 5 ... 'ifc7D 1 5 ...�fS? loses the queen after 16.iilh3! 'i¥xh3 1 7.tbgs+. 1 6. ll:igS+ @g8 1 7. 'ifh5? The right move was 1 7.fS! exfS 1 8 . jlxdS±. 1 7 ... .:r.d8 1 8.'ifh7+ @f8 1 9.h4 Trying to complicate with h5-h6. 1 9 ... ll:ige7! 20. 'ifh5

-

King's Indian Attack: 2.d3 dS

20.hS? does not work because of 20 ... tt:Jg8! . 2 0. . . ll:ifS 21 .g4 ll:ig3! 22. 'ifh7 ll:ie7? 22 ... eS!, with the idea 23 ... .l:!'.d6. 23.fS There is no time to play 23.@h2? tbg8! 24.'it>xg3 tbf6 and White loses his queen. 23 ...exfS 24.hS? A 'ping-pong' reply would be 24.tbxf7!
In order to defend against h5-h6, but also to trap the queen on h7 with ...tbf6!. 25.h6 llJxh6 26. ll:ie6+ fxe6? Victory would have been Black's reward after 26 ... �xe6! 27.�xh6 �xh6-+. 27. i..x hG 'iff7 28 . .bg7+? 28.l:te3D. 28... 'ifxg7 29. 'ifh4 �d7 30. 'ifxg3 'ifxg4 31 . 'ifd6+ @17 32.l:te3 'ifg6 33. l:tg3 i..e8 34. 'iff4 'iff6 35.l:te1 :ace!+ 36.l:tgS l:td7?T %-112 A game full of tactics, odd and beautiful, mixing bits of everything. However, the ambitious 'exchanging' plan with 9 ... 0-0 and 1 1 ...gS can be a dangerous surprise in your repertoire. Alternatively, 8/9... h6!? is the safest option.

337

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

Chapter 24

-

Weathering the Storm

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 dS 3.�3 tllf6 4.i.gS il..e7 5.es tllfd7 6.h4 0-0

In the Alekhine-Chatard Attack (C14), White aims to start a kingside storm with 6.h4. But in an old game with Ilia Smirin (and some other games) the author managed to prove that Black can provocatively castle 6 . 0-0 and weather this storm with accurate play! This forgotten game and several others in the notes cannot be found in any database, but fortunately they were written down in my old notebook, biding their time. .

338

.

Chapter 2 4 -Weathering the Storm: 3 . tlx3 tli6 4. .tgs .te7 5 .eS tlid7 6.h4 0-0 7...cS!

GAM E 100

Ilia Smirin ('2560) Viktor Moskalenko Beijing 1 991

1 .e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.tlJc3 tllf6 4.ii.gS ii.e7 5.es tllfd7 6.h4!? An aggressive attack in World Champion Alexander Alekhine's style. 6... 0-0!? Castling is a healthy concept, but in this structure it is very provocative, inviting an immediate storm on the kingside! 7.ii.d3 White wants to attack from a comfortable position. � WEAPON: The most aggressive option is 7.�g4

With this energetic reply in the centre the battle begins! The blockade move 7.. .fS?! does not work because of 8.tllh 3!, threatening tllh 3-f4, with the initiative, Khalifman-Ulibin, Sochi 1 989. 8.'WhS!? Bringing up all the resources against the enemy king. Now Khalifman's move 8 .tllh 3?! prepares the thematic trick 9. .txh7+.

analysis diagram

7 .. .fS (7... c5?! does not work because of 8.�h6 g6 9.hS!-, but 7 .. .f6!? can be a surprise weapon: 8.tllf3 .l:!.f7! Hector­ So, Malmo 201 1 , or 7...Wh8!? 8.tllf3 cS 9 . .td3 fS+:t) 8.exf6?! (8.�xe7 �xe7 9.�gS!? °iYb4 1 0.0-0-0 c5 1 1 .�e7 �b6 1 2 .tlla4 �c6 1 3 .tllxcS tllxcS 1 4.�xcS �xc5 1 5.dxcS tlld 7 1 6 .tllf3 tllx cS= Hebden-M.Gurevich, England tt 1 997/98; 8 .�g3 cS 9 . .ih6 .l:!.f7 1 0 .tllxdS!? cxd4! 1 I .tllxe7+ �xe7 1 2 .0-0-0 tllc 6 1 3 .tllf3oo Barrientos-Moskalenko, Badalona 200S) 8 ...tllxf6 9.'it'g3 cS!i 1 0.dxcS tllb d7 1 1 .0-0-0 tllxcS 12.�d3 bS! 1 3 .tllf3 b4 and the position is completely won for Black, Kupreichik-Moskalenko, Pinsk 1 986.

analysis diagram

� WEAPON: But Black has a very

strong defensive resource in 8 ... g6! (the key move: the main de­ fensive resource for Black is based on the exchange sacrifice. If 8 .. .fS? 9.tllf4±; or 8 ...cxd4? 9 . .ixe7 '1Wxe7 10.1t..x h7+! Wxh7 1 1 .'ifhs+ �g8 1 2 .tllg S+- and White gives mate in 3 moves) 9.1t..h 6 (9.f4 cxd4!+ Hector-Moskalenko, Copenhagen 1 99S) (9.dxcS tllc6 1 0.f4 tllxcS+:t) 339

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) 9... cxd4! 10.�xf8 �xf8 l l .tbe2 tbxeS l 2.tbxd4 �xh4 with a great advantage for Black, Hall­ Moskalenko, Cambados 1 992. TRICK: 8 .tbf3 is not very useful, since it blocks the dl-hS diagonal for the white queen: 8 ...cxd4! is now possible:

There is no way back: 9.�xe7?! 'iYxe7 1 0.�gS �xgS 1 1 .hxgS cxd4 1 2.tbbS a6! 1 3 .tbxd4 tbxeS+. 9 ... tbc6 This is the continuation which allows Black to keep on fighting. ,.,,.,,.. WEAPON: After 9...cxd4!? White has 1 0.tbf3 !? tbxeSD (1 0 ...dxc3?? 1 1 .hS! and White wins) 1 1 .tbxeS dxc3 1 2.tbxg6 (whether other moves are better will have to be proved in analysis) l 2...fxg6 1 3 . kxg6 hxg6 14.�xg6+ @h8= and there is nothing better than a draw. 1 0.f4 ,.,,._ WEAPON: 10.�xe7!? must be analysed:

analysis diagram

With an advantage for Black, since 9.kxe7 (or 9.tbbS tbc6 10.�xh7+? @xh7 l l .�xe7 �xe7 1 2 .tbgs+ @h6!-+ B.Hjartarson-0.Johannsson, Mosfellsbaer 2010) 9...'iYxe7 1 0.�xh7+? loses after 1 0 ... @xh7 1 1 .tbgs+ @h6!+ and there is no attack. 8 . 96! Black builds a fortress. 8 ... h6? 9.kxh6!. 9.'ii' h 6 ..

This was the key position of my studies in the 1 980s, when I did not have a com­ puter and I had to analyse at home over the board! 340

analysis diagram

10 ...�xe7 1 1 .hS cxd4 (1 1 ...tbb4? 1 2.tbf3 tbxd3+ 1 3.cxd3 cxd4 14.tbe2 gS 1 5.l:1h3 f6 1 6.exf6 �xf6 1 7.�xgS+ �xgS 1 8.tbxgS+) 1 2.hxg6 fxg6 1 3 . kxg6 hxg6 14.�h8+ @f7 1 5 .l:1h7+ @e8 16.l:1xe7+ tbxe7 1 7.�h3D dxc3 1 8 .'iYxc3oo (Bezemer-Wiistefeld, Wijk aan Zee 2005) 1 8 ...b6!?. 1 0 ... tbxd4 The only defence (discovered in my old analysis). However, in several more recent games Black did not find the right path: 10 ... .i:!.e8? (Iordachescu-Tadic, Zlatibor tt 2007) now: l 1 . kxe7 ( 1 1 .hS!?) l 1 ...l:1xe7 1 2.dxcS±.

Chapter 24 -Weathering the Storm: 3 . 0c3 QJ£6 4. �gs �e7 S .es QJfd7 6.h4 0-0 Unfortunately, 1 0 ... cxd4 does not work due to the mate threats:

analysis diagram analysis diagram

TRICK: 1 1 .tLlf3 ! ! �e80 (1 1 ... dxc3? 1 2 .hS!+-) 12.�xe7 �xe7 1 3 .tt:Jbs±. 1 1 . ltJf3 A) 1 1 .0-0-0! might be more interest­ ing for White:

E .i. :ifi E • i i 'S .t i i i i i i l'.i � 'S b b tb i. l::i l'.i b � .M

1 3.hxg6 fxg6 14.�xg6 hxg6 l S .°iVh8+ @f7 16.l:f.h7+ @e8 1 7.�xe7+ @xe7 1 8 .�h7+ �f7 1 9.�xg6 tLlxeS+, favouring Black. 1 1 ... ttJxf3+ 1 2.gxf3 fS 12 ... �e8!? with the same idea 13 ... �f8!. 1 3.hS .txgS 1 4.fxgS ttJxeS 14...'iVe8!?. 1 5.hxg6 'ii'e7 1 6.gxh7+ 'iti>h8 1 7.0-0-0 'ii'g7

analysis diagram

Here several options should be checked: l 1 ...�e8!? (a defensive resource, threat­ ening ... �f8. 1 1 ...fS? 1 2 .tLlge2!i Abasov­ Bajarani, Baku ch-AZE jr 201 1) 1 2 . �xe7 ! (1 2.hS �f8!) 1 2 ... �xe7 (12 ...'i¥xe7 1 3 .hS+) 1 3 .hS! 13 ...°'fif80 14.hxg6 (14.�gS f6!) 14 .. .fxg6 (14 ... �xh6 1 S.gxh7+!) 1 S .°'fih4� and White has a clear advantage on the kingside; B) On 1 1 .hS ?! the critical continuation is 1 1 ....2.xgS! 1 2.fxgS �e7 ! , when Black seems to maintain his fortress, for in­ stance:

Now Smirin sacrifices two pieces, trying to put an end to the game. 1 8 . .bfS? � 1 8 .�hS!? �d7 (18 ... d4!?) 1 9.f4 tLlg6oo. 1 8 ... 'ifxh6 1 9.lbh6 lbfS 20.ttJxdS exdS 2 1 . lbdS ltJf7T 2 1 ...tLlc6 22.g6 .2.e6-+. 22. :XfS .bfS 23.l:lf6 ttJd6 24.lbd6 l:lf8 25.@d2 'ifi>xh7 26.c3 'ifi>g7 27.b4 cxb4 28.cxb4 l:le8 29.a4 tte7 112-112 The position is technically winning for Black, but the old time control did not allow me to finish the game properly. 341

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) Summary of the 'storm' variation 6.h4 0-0!? in the Alekhine-Chatard-Smirin Attack: This ensures a hard fight for the initiative with bags of adrenalin and lots of enjoy­ able tactics. All this thanks to my old notebook, where all the details of this battle were preserved.

342

Chapter 25

-

Kortchnoi 's Wedge

1 .e4 e6 2.ttJf3 dS 3.es cs 4.b4 d4

Before we learn an opening or a certain line properly, we should check the games of the experts and, after that, try to find our own directions. In this gambit, which used to bother me, the idea of 4 . . . d4! ? was invented by spe­ cialistViktor Kortchnoi. Black uses his cl-pawn as a 'wedge' on d4. I like this concept, where Black fights for space in the centre.

343

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) GAM E 101

Stefaan Deman Danny Haberkorn Antwerp 1 999 (3)

1 .e4 e6 2.tLif3 dS 3.es cs 4.b4 d4!? A) With 4 ... cxb4 5.a3 White can sacri­ fice a pawn, with quite the same idea as in the Benko Gambit, but in this case the centre is blocked. For instance: 5 ... tbc6 6.axb4 �xb4 7.c3 �as (or else 7... �e7 8.d4�) 8.d4 tLlge7 9.�d3 h6 1 0.0-0� with a typical position in this gambit: Black is slightly passive and he does not have any counterplay, Westerinen­ Brinck Claussen, Esbjerg 1978; B) I once tried to put up another block­ ade with 4 ... c4!?

.! � .t ii

· � � .! i i .t.

�----�--,-----

i8

8i t2J 8 88 888 1: tt:J .�:iY � � 1: analysis diagram

5.c3 (or, for instance, 5.a3 b5 6.a4 �xb4oo Simferopol Stripunsky-Moskalenko, ch-UKR 1 990) 5 ... a5!? (5 ...tbe7 6.d3oo Vafiadis-Moskalenko, Kavala 1 998) 6.b5 tbd7 7.d4 cxd3 8.�xd3 f6!?+2 Naer-Moskalenko, Moscow 1 995. S.bxcS If 5.�b2 tLlh6!? Zahorbensky-Balacek, Czechia tt 201 1 . s ... .b:cs 6.h3!? White carries on with his main idea. 6.�d3 does not offer anything special: 6 ...tbc6 7.'iie 2 tLlge7 (7.. .f5!?) 8.0-0 tLlg6+:t. 6 ... 'ifaS! The best option. 7.hcs 344

If 7.'iie 2!? �d7 8 .�xc5 'iixc5 9.'iic4 �xc4 10.�xc4 tbc6+:t Sievers-Kotlyar, Germany tt 2008/09. 7 ... 'ifxcS 8.c3 tLic6 9.cxd4 tl:ixd4 1 0. 'ifa4+

The Flexible French: 'Only seven games have been played with this line, but in one of them Black found a very attractive pos­ sibility:' 10 ... .id7! ! This knight sacrifice is an unexpected resource (today, 201 5=9 games) 1 0 ...tbc6?! has mainly been played. This reply seemed to be forced, but after 1 1 .tLlc3 White gains the initiative, threat­ ening tbe4-d6+: 1 1 ...�a5 (Boersma­ Kortchnoi, Leeuwarden ch-NED 1977). Now: 1 2 .�g4! @f8 1 3.�f4t. 1 1 . 'ifxd4 'it'c1 + 1 2. '1i>e2 .tbs+

A spectacular check. This is the key po­ sition for this idea. If the opponent is not ready for this surprise, finding the right response over the board is a tough task.

Chapter 25 - Kortclmoi's Wedge: 2. t2Jf3 d5 3 .e5 c5 4.b4 1 3. 'ifi>ea � WEAPON: The alternative is 1 3 .d3 (1 game only) 13 ... nds 14.tlJbd2D 't/Wa3 ! (14 ... i.xd3+? is a mistake in view of 1 5.'t/Wxd3 't/Wxal 1 6.'t/Wc2!+-) 1 S.'t/Wf4 (1 5.tbc4? i.xc4 1 6.'iVxc4 °iVb2+ winning the rook on al) 1 5 ...'t.Wb2 16.�dl i.xd3+ 1 7.@el i.c2oo and the position remains compli­ cated, Florstedt-Van Schyndel, Bad Godesberg 201 1 . 1 3 ... �xf1

•

� .I .t. .t. .t.

...---·

.-�-

8 \i9 8 8 ld tLi 'iV

•

� ttJ 888 .i. ld

Another key moment. 1 4. 'ii'c 3? White makes too many defensive mis­ takes. The best ideas are: A) 14.�a4+ @f8 1 5 .°iYbS (Nabuurs­ Van der Griendt, Netherlands tt 20 1 1 I 12) and now, for instance, 1 5 ...'tlfxd2+!+ winning a pawn; B) Or else 14.'tlfd3 'iVc5+! 1 5.�d4 �xd4+!? (15 ..."IWcl = repeats moves)

16.tbxd4 i.xg2 1 7.J;igl �c6 1 8 . .l::Ixg7 tbe7 with interesting counterplay for Black. 1 4 ... 'ii'd 1 !t

• .t. 8 � 8 ld tLi

� .I .t. .t. .t. •

� ttJ 8 888 'iV .i. ld

Threatening 1 5 ...�e2+ and 1 6 ... i.xg2 . 1 5. :Xf1 Also after 1 5 .'t/Wd3 Black has the better chances, for example: 15 ... 'li'xf3+!? 1 6.gxf3 i.xd3 1 7.c;;t>xd3 tbe7+ Olsarova­ Zhukova, Tbilisi Ech 201 1 . 1 5 ... 'ii'xf1 1 6.ttJa3 'ii'a 6!-+ And Black did not have any trouble con­ verting his material advantage. 1 7. 'ii'cs tf::e7 1 8.lLibS o-o 1 9.lLic7 lLif5+ 20.@14 'ii'a4+ 21 .d4 :ace 22.lk1 l:tfd8 23.l:tc4 'ii'd 7 24. 'ii'a5 0-1 tf::e7 25.'ii'c3 .:.Xc7 It is obvious that 'Kortchnoi's wedge' 4.b4 d4!?, reinforced with the fantastic resource 10 ... �d7! , can be a nasty sur­ prise for b4-gambit lovers - incidentally, this is a line which is especially popular on the Internet.

345

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

Chapter 26

-

Reti/Papa Gambit

The well-known classical grandmasters Richard Reti, Rudolf Spielmann and Savielly Tartakower were the first explorers of an interesting anti-French weapon: 1 .e4 e6 2.b3 d5 3.i.b2

8 8 � 8 ti 8 8 8 :s: tLJ 'iV @ � tLJ � You can also reach the diagram position from several different openings (for in­ stance, l .b3 dS 2 . ..ib2 e6 3.e4!?). History In those classic times, White played many attractive games with the Reti Gambit, but somehow the line remained underdeveloped. However, I also found some modern games between high-rated players, where Black did not get more than a couple of draws ... Personally, I have played many blitz games on the Internet with black against this gambit and it's a quite annoying line - with easier play for the white side. Therefo­ re, Black should keep some counter-ideas in store here. Nowadays, this is far from being a typical anti-French set-up for White, but at a theoretical level it has never been analysed deeply and it could be an interesting variation for nearly all levels! All this is sufficient reason to devote a separate chapter to this subject. Directions So, what do you think is Black's best defence? Game 1 02: deviations: 3 tl:if6 (3 tl:ic6 and 3 cS). The first option I checked was declining the gambit with 3 . tl:if6, but after the natural continuation: 4.eS! tl:ifd7 (for ...

...

Richard Reti.

346

.

.

...

Chapter 26

-

Reti/Papa Gambit: 2.b3 d5 3 . �b2

4 ...tLlg8 ! ? see the main game) 5 .f4 c5 6.�g4! tLlc6 7.tLlf3 White achieves a solid advantage, mainly due to his strong central pawn wedge and the powerful posi­ tion of his queen.

White's plan is quite easy: after .ie2 and 0-0 he can go for d2-d4 or tLlc3-tLldl-tLle3, improving the queen's knight. Unfortunately, I did not manage to find any effective counterplay for Black here. See my summary at the end of Game 1 0 2 . The same goes for the other deviations: • 3 ... tLlc6 4.eS!? with the black knight on c6 (without previously playing... c7-c5), White can also close the centre. • 3 ... c5: it is important to note that this position also can arise from the Sicilian Defence l .e4 c5 2.b3 (Transpositions, Game 1 03). Game 103: accepting the Gambit with 3 dxe4 4.tLlc3 tLlf6. ...

The main position ofReti's anti-French Gambit. White usually chooses between two moves: A) 5.g4 is a typical but overly risky direct attack. Here, a possible refutation may be found, starting with s . .tt:Jc6!?. B) 5.�e2!? is a solid positional plan, preparing queenside castling, after which g2g4 is a strong threat. .

347

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

Reti/Papa Gambit - Games The two model games show White's main idea in the Reti Gambit, and how Black can face it. GAME 102

Lisa Schut (221 9) Yochanan Afek (2280) Amsterdam 2010 (4)

1 .e4 e6 2.b3 d5 For instance, 2 ...b6 is recommended by John Watson in Play the French, 2003. Another possible move order goes 2 ... lLlc6 3 . i.b2 d5 4.e5! (closing the centre is a quite logical concept: here Black has played ...lLlc6 without ... c7-c5.

E .t tv • .t ,. E 111 111 ,. l l8 •

Rejecting the gambit is a practical op­ tion, but it seems quite passive. The main move is 3 ... dxe4, see next game. PUZZLE: 3 ...c5 can occur via a transposion from the Sicilian: 4.exd5 exd5 5.�bs+. A typical tricky and dynamic check: the main idea is 5 ...lLlc6?! (z 5 ... �d7 6.�e2+!? �e7 7.lLlc3 �xe2+?! 8.�xe2! ± Aronian-Van Wely, Monaco rapid 2006) 6.�e2+! �e7 7.lLlc3! lLlf6 8.0-0-0 d4 9.Si.xc6+! bxc6 1 0.lLla4t. Black's pawns and king are weak, Puschel­ Hannebauer, Germany tt 2004/05.

•

4.e5!

� � · . ---

analysis diagram

4 ... lLlge7 (4...lLlh6 was an improvement that was implemented in the same tour­ nament, but I think this does not greatly change the evaluation of the position. White has various possibilities to get active play: 5.lLlf3 Si.e7 6.d4 0-0 7.Si.e2 f6 8.0-0 lLlf5 9.c4 dxc4 10.Si.xc4 a6 l I . Si.d3 �d7 1 2.�d2 b5 1 3.a4 fxe5 14.dxe5 bxa4 1 5 . 1:1xa4t WindPower-Lukulus, playchess.com INT comp 2007) 5.d4 lLlf5 6.lLlf3 Si.e7 7.�d3 0-0 8.0-0 f6 9.exf6 Si.xf6 1 0 . .l:i.el lLlfxd4 l 1 .lLlxd4 lLlxd4 12.Si.xd4 �xd4 1 3 . Si.xh7+ 'i.t>xh7 14.�xd4t; White's advantage includes a better pawn structure plus lLl vs. Si.: WindPower-Dark Anakin, playchess. com INT 2007. 3.i.b2! tllf6 348

8 8 Jl 8 8 8 8 8 ld � �w � ttS ld The first key position of this chapter. 4... tllg 8!? In order to play... lLlh6/lLlf5.

t'fJ"-- WEAPON: The main option is

4 ...t2Jfd7 5.f4 (the direct 5.�g4!? also works perfectly well: 5 ... lLlc6 6.f4 f5 7.�g3!? lLlb6 8.lLlf3 t2Jb4?! 9.lLla3 �d7 1 0.c3 lLlc6 l 1 .lLlc2± and Black seems to be in zug­ zwang, Papaioannou-Haritakis, Athens ch-GRE 1996) 5 ... c5 (this is a standard idea) 6.�g4! . The most active move i n any French var­ iation. 6 ...lLlc6 7.lLlf3t (in my opinion, White has the better chances in this structure since Black has no real coun­ terplay on the queenside) 7...g6 (the

Chapter 26 - Reti/Papa Gambit: 2.b3 d5 3 . �b2 most popular method. With 7... a6 Black can change the move order, but the arising positions tend to be similar: 8 . �e2 b5 9.0-0 tbb6 1 0.d4!?±; White dominates the centre and the kingside, Montreal Arngrimsson-Malakhatko, 2009) 8 . �e2 a6 9.0-0 �g7 I O.tbc3! b5 1 1 .tDdl �b7 1 2.�g3 tbe7 1 3 .a4!? b4 14.tbe3 tbf5 1 5.tbxf5 exf5 1 6 . �d3 0-0.

l l ...�e7 1 2.tDdl �d7 1 3 .tbe3 g6 14.'ti'f2 (14.tbxf5!? gxf5 1 5.'ti'fH) 14... d4 1 5.tbxf5 exfS 16.c3 dxc3 1 7.dxc3± Moskalenko-Gonzalez Rodriguez, Torredembarra 2010. 8.0-0 �e7 PLAN: 9.c3!?: tba3-tbc2.

analysis diagram

�l, PLAN: In order to activate the

This position occurred in Repkova­ Macek, Sibenik tt 2005. Now: 1 7.�xf5 ! ! i s winning after 1 7. . .gxf5 1 8.tbh4! @h8 1 9.t2Jxf5 �g8 20.t2Jd6+-. 5.f4 TRICK: 5.h4!? 6. 5 ... �e7? 6.'ifg4!t Papaioannou-Haritakis, Aegina 1 996. s ...cs 6. ttJf3 Now there is no sense in 6.'ti'g4 tbh6!. 6 ... ttJc 6 7.�e2 tbh6

•

9.ttJc3 �� 9 ..0-0 1 0. 'ife1 !? .

queen via e l-g3 and to prepare the manoeuvre tbdl -e3. 1 0... �d7 1 1 .'ith 1 ! ? a6 1 2.a4?! This move is not useful. It prevents ...b7b5, but weakens the b4-square. I prefer 1 2.a3 bS 1 3 .tbdl , etc. �

/fl/*'- WEAPON:

7... h5 8.0-0 t2Jh6 9.tbc3 tbf5 1 0.a3 a6 1 1 .°ifel !?.

i.

.i. :iV • .i. i. ii i i IS i i i 8 /S i 8 l2J 8 8 0i il 8 8 il 8 8 1:1 WI I;i. w analysis diagram

Dutch WIM Lisa Schut (she was my student at the time) . In this game, Lisa applied a winning positional set-up, but could not finish the game tactically'

349

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) 1 2 ... :ce 1 3 . .:tc1 f6 1 4. lt::id 1 ! ? Defending eS and preparing tLle3 1 4 ... lt::if7 1 S.t2Je3 � 1 5 .exf6!? �xf6 16. iil.a3oo. 1 S ... fxes 1 6.fxes lt::ih 6 1 6 ... d4!?; 1 6 ...tLlh8 !?. 1 7. 'ifg3 'ife8 1 8. 'ii'h 3!? lt::id 8? A very passive move. 1 9.d4 1 9.�d3 !?;;!; was logical. 1 9 ... cxd4? 20. lt::ixd 4t lt::idf7 21 . lt::ixd S!± .

!.

'ii' !. . j_ _t: � i i i � Cjj B, t;j

Up to here White has played quite strongly. 21 ... ..igS? 2 1 ...�cS 22.�g3 ! exdS 23.e6 �d6 24.�h3±. 22 . .:tcd1 ! lt::ifS 23.lt::ixfS 23.tLlb6+-. 23 ... exdS 24. ..id3 White has more material and will give checkmate in the end, but 24.�d3+­ was a technical win. 24... 96

2S.lt::ig7??T At least two moves should be winning here: 25.e6--+ or 25.�a3+-. 2S ... ..ixh3 26.tt::ixee ..ig4 27.e6 ..ixd1 28.exf7+ lb:f7 29.:Xf7 :Xe8 30 . .:tf1 ..ig4 31 .h3 ..id7 32 . ..ic3 ..ih4 33. @h2 ..ic6 34. ..id4 ..id8 3S.g3 ..ic7 36.h4 :es 37.'ifi>h3 ..tes 38. hes :Xes 39. .:tf6 @g7 40. .:tf2 :e1 41 .@g4 ..id7+ 42.@f4 @16 43 . .:tf1 :es 44.g4 gS+ 4S.hxgS+ :XgS 46 . ..ixh7 :Xg4+ 47.'ifi>f3 .:tg7 48 . ..id3 @es 49.c3 ..ic6 so.:e1 + 'ifi>d6 S1 .'ifi>e3 as S2.@d2 @cs S3 . .:te2 .:tg3 S4. .:te3 .:tg1 ss.:e1 .:tg4 S6.@c2 .:th4 S7.l:te2 ..id7 S8. .:td2 .:th3 S9 . .:tg2 .:thS 60 . .:tf2 ..ie6 61 .l:td2 d4 62 . ..ie4 dxc3 63. @xc3 b6 64. ..ic2 .:th3+ 6S . .:td3 l:l.h2 66 . .:te3 .ids 67. .:tg3 l:th4 112-112

Summary after 3 ... tLlf6 4.eS!: I think that the arising positions slightly favour White and are easier to play for him. Black does not have any clear counter­ attacking plan, and in the long run he will be under attack on the kingside. In the following game I have tried to illustrate White's attacking resources and Black's defensive ones. The material and the analysis are not a summary, but a collection of the best ideas. Probably Black can balance the game, playing accurately and defensively, for instance with 5...�e7!? 6.tLlxe4 0-0!. The choice is yours. GAM E 103

Leonid Totsky (2450) Andrey Tarasenko (2250) Moscow 1 995 (7)

1 .e4 e6 2.b3 Lev Psakhis (CBM 058): 'Totsky played this strange move many times and usually with success. It doesn't mean

350

Chapter 26 - Reti/Papa Gambit: 2.b3 dS 3 . i.b2 that the move is good, it just means that maybe it is better than its reputation.' 2 ... dS 3 . .ib2 dxe4!? Accepting the gambit. 4. tbc3 tLlf6 This is an automatic response. /fl"- WEAPON: 4 .. .fS

8 CiJ 8�8 8 8 8 8 iV � � ttJ ::t ::t analysis diagram

S .d3!? (5.f3 is less clear: 5 ... �d6 6.tllx e4!? fxe4 7. .1l.xg7 °iYh4+ 8 .We2 tlle 7 9.�xh8 tllg 6 10.'lWeloo) 5 ... exd3 (5 ... tllf6 6.dxe4 'lWxdl+ 7. .ld.xdl fxe4 8.tllh 3;;!;) 6.�xd3 tllf6 7.'iVe2 tllc6 8.tllf3t and White can be happy with this position. 5. 'ife2 5 .g4.

l I . Ji.xe4 Ji.f6 12.tllf3t Papaioannou­ Gleizerov, Cappelle la Grande 1998; B) 5 ... Ji.cS?! 6.gS 'lWd4 7.tllh 3 tllfd7 8 .'iYe2 0-0 9.0-0-0t 'tWeS?? 1 0 .tllb s+­ Van Riemsdijk-Mendes, Sao Bernardo 1 968; C) 5 ... Ji.d7 6.gS tlld s 7.tllxe4 �c6 8 .'tWe2 tllf4 9.fHe3 tlld S=; D) 5 ... .1l.e7 6.gS tlld S 7.tllxe4 0-0oo; E) 5 ... tllc 6!? (probably the most active counter-set-up, preventing 6.'iVe2? tlld4!) 6.gS (6.Ji.g2 eS!? 7.gS �g4!:+) 6 ... tlld s

.i .t 'iV • .t .i iii iii ,. i ,. 8 i

analysis diagram

7.tllxe4 eS!? (just a natural human move; 7... h6!? 8.g6 fS! Chichirivichi­ Pawntobewild, playchess.com, INT 2007) 8.tlle 2? (this leads to catastrophe.

analysis diagram

This brave attack may be too hasty. However, it can turn out dramatic for either player - whoever does not play aggressively! A) 5 ... h6 6.Ji.g2 .1i.d7 7.'iVe2 .tc6 8.0-0-0 �cs 9.tllxe4 Ji.d4 1 0.c3 tllxe4

GM Leonid Totsky.

35 1

Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black)

� 8 .tLlf3 Trifonov-Bychkov, Orsk 2002)

E • .t 11V • E iii iii • • i 4J

8 ... �g4 (8 ... h6!?) 9. .l:f.gl 'l!Vdl+ 1 0.d3 tLld4!? l l .l::f.xg4??.

4J i 8 4J tt:J : 8 8 8 � 8 tt:J 8 'if k :

i 8 1J 8 tt:J 8 k 8 8 W/ 8 8 k tt:J l::!: : !'::,

analysis diagram

Enriching the collection of chess minia­ tures: l l ...tLlf3 mate, Arvola-Westerinen, Troms0 2008. 5 ..tb4 Looking for some counterplay (... �xc3 or ...'l!Vel), but in the arising positions White has better prospects. A) The modest 5 ... �el!? may be a practical solution for a solid player: 6.tLlxe4 0-0! ...

analysis diagram

For instance, 6 ...tLlc6 l.0-0-0 (l.gS!?) l ... 0-0 8.gS tLldS 9.h4oo with a typical Reti/Papa game � TRICK: 6.tLlxe4? tLlxe4 l.'l!Vxe4?? W °ifxd2 mate. 6 .. 'ti'e7 Preparing l... �a3. 6 ... �xc3?! looks too ambitious: l.dxc3!? 'l!Vel 8.g4!. .

analysis diagram

analysis diagram

l.tLlf3 aS!? 8.a4 tLlc6 9.0-0-0 b6 1 0 .'l!Ve3 �bl l 1 .tLlxf6+ �xf6 1 2 .d4 tLlb4!t Ponomarenko-Krivoshey, Yalta 1996; B) Similarly good is 5 ... tLlc6!? 6.tLlxe4 �el l.tLlf3 0-0 8.0-0-0 aS 9.d4 a4� Karasev-Farago, Polanica Zdroj 1 914. 6.0-0-0

t'fl"'- WEAPON: 6.g4 is an interesting idea here. 352

Psakhis (CBM 058): 'For just one pawn White has the pair of bishops, an advan­ tage in development and the initiative not a bad deal!' 8 ... h6 9.�g2 eS (9... 0-0 I O.Mt) 1 0.h3 �dl l 1 .'l!Ve3! �c6 1 2.c4 tLlbdl 1 3 .tLle2t and White is clearly better, Totsky-Zakharov, Perm 1 991 (1-0 in 21 moves). 7.@b1 Typical prophylaxis against the threat ... �a3 . l.tLlxe4!? is a good option for technical players:

Chapter 26 - Reti/Papa Gambit: 2.b3 dS 3 . �b2

:I � .i. I. I. I. .

• 'iV I. '�

1 8. .th3 ltJfB 1 9.c4 @be 20.llg1 es 21 . 'ti'e3 .:.ea 22.a4 ltJhS 23 . ..tfs 'ti'f6 24. he4 'ti'f4

l2J .i. 8 l il l l 'fi l 8 8 <;t> :g il l2J :g analysis diagram

7... �a3 8.tLlxf6+ "Y:1Vxf6 9.d4 �xb2+ I O.'it>xb2;:!;; Totsky-Legky, Orel 1 994. 7... .txc3 7... �a3!? 8.�al as 9.tLlxe4 t2Jbd7oo Garcia Castro-Perez Lopez, Villava 2009. 8.dxc3 b6 8 ... eS 9.h3� Sperdokli-Makka, Aspropyrgos ch-GRE 2003. 9.g4! .tb7 10 . .tg2 h6 1 1 .h4 ltJbd7 1 2.gS ltJdS 1 3. ltJh3t

:I e I l. .i. l. � 'iV l. I. I. I. I. 8 � 8 I. 88 l2J l il l 'iY l il :g <;t> :g Psakhis (CBM 058): 'With a promising position for White.' 1 3 ... hxgS 1 4.hxgS fS 1 5.gxf6 ltJSxf6 1 6.ltJgS Ilxh1 1 7. Ilxh1 0-0-0

25. 'ife2 25.�d3±; 25.�f3±. 25 ... .txe4 26. ltJxe4 ltJf6 27. ltJc3 ltJe6 28. ltJdS 'ifh2 29. 'iff1 ltJe4 30. 'ifg2 'i!i'xg2 31 . :Xg2 ltJf4 32. ltJxf4 exf4 33.f3 ltJg3 34 . .ixg7 lle1 + 35. 'iii>b2 .:m 36 . .tes .i:txf3 37. llh2 ltJe4 38 . .l:thB+ @b7 39. llh7 llf1 40. Ilxc7+ '>ta8 41 .aS bxa5 42.cS l:tg1 43.c6 .:tg8 44 . .txf4 a6 45 . .te3 ltJf6 46. lla7+ @b8 1 -0 47 . .tb6

Conclusion The ancient, aggressive Reti/Papa Gambit is not fashionable nowadays, but it is still a good and surprising anti­ French weapon - even against high­ rated players. Combining the ideas of this chapter, you may even be able to dabble with b2-b3 against other openings as well. Good luck!

353

Game List Games marked with an asterisk

(*)

are new, i.e. not in 'The Flexible French'.

Part One GAME i

Evgeny Sveshnikov

Viktor Moskalenko

Norilsk 1 9 8 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6

GAME 2

Alexei Shirov

Mikhail Gurevich

Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0

GAME 3*

Semen Dvoirys

Alexey Goganov

Vladimir 2 0 0 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5

GAME 4* Jose Fernando Cubas

Wesley So

Klunty-Mansiysk 2 0 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8

GAME S

Evgeny Sveshnikov

Viktor Moskalenko

Rostov-on-Don 1 9 9 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 Vlissingen 1 9 9 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

GAME 6 *

Harmen Jonkman

Mikhail Gurevich

GAME 7 *

Alexander Grischuk

Alexander Morozevich Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

GAME 8*

Alexander Grischuk

Vasily Ivanchuk

GAME 9*

Orestes Rodriguez Vargas

Yukio Miyasaki

Skopje ol 1 9 7 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

CapNemo

playchess.com 2 0 0 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2

GAME I O* Caralho Voador GAME I I

Kl1anty-Mansiysk (rapid) 2 0 1 1 ... 42

Tigran Petrosian

Tbilisi 1 9 5 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 9

GAME 1 2 Hikaru Nakamura

Jan Timman

Malmo/Copenhagen 2 0 0 5 . . . . . . . . . . 6 1

GAME 1 3

Semen Dvoirys

Rafael Vaganian

Izmir tt 2 0 0 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

GAME 1 4

Yury Lapshun

Viktor Moskalenko

Banyoles 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

GAME I S

Alexander Shabalov

Varuzhan Akobian

Philadelphia 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Mikhail Tal

GAME 1 6 Peter Clarke

Tigran Petrosian

Munich ol 1 9 5 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

GAME 1 7

Teimour Radjabov

Sarajevo 2 0 0 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1

GAME 1 8 Josef Klinger

Lajos Portisch

Dubai 1 9 8 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3

GAME 1 9 Vasily Ivanchuk

Evgeny Bareev

Monaco (blind) 2 0 0 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5

GAME 2 0 Vladimir Malaniuk

Wolfgang Uhlmann

Tallinn 1 9 8 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7

GAME 2 1

Yannick Pelletier

Biel 2 0 0 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8

Vereslav Eingorn

Palma d e Mallorca I 9 8 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1

GAME 2 3 Vasily Ivanchuk

Viktor Moskalenko

Barcelona 2 0 0 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

GAME 24 Sergey Fedorchuk

Viktor Moskalenko

Alushta 1 9 9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

GAME 2 S N i Hua

Wang Hao

Singapore 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

GAME 2 6 Thomas Luther

Carlos Matamoros Franco Cienfuegos 1 9 9 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 1

Sergei Movsesian

Alexander Grischuk

GAME 2 2 Evgeny Sveshnikov

Part Two

GAME 2 7

Swayangsu Satyapragyan

Viktor Moskalenko

Andorra 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 04

GAME 2 8

Charles Monroy

Viktor Moskalenko

L'Estartit 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 8

GAME 29 Vasily Ivanchuk

Viktor Moskalenko

Lvov l 9 8 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 4

GAME 3 0

Ibragim Khamrakulov

Viktor Moskalenko

Salou 2 0 0 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 6

GAME 3 1

Predrag Ostojic

Mikhail Botvinnik

Wijk aan Zee 1 9 69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 5

GAME 3 2 Vitaly Pesotsky

Viktor Moskalenko

Chernigov 1 9 8 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 8

GAME 3 3 * Zvonko Stanojoski

Sergey Volkov

Elista ol 1 99 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 0

GAME 34 Leonid Yudasin

Viktor Moskalenko

Lviv 1 9 8 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 2

GAME 3 S

Alexander Morozevich Sarajevo 1 9 9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 42

Michael Adams

GAME 3 6 Alexander Onischuk

Alexander Morozevich Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 8 / 9 9 .. 1 46

355

Even More Flexible French GAME 3 7

Zaven Andriasyan

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Kirishi 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 48

GAME 3 8 * Zahar Efimenko

Yury Vovk

Kiev ch-UKR 2 0 1 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 S I

GAME 39

Vasilios Kotronias

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Moscow 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 S S

GAME 40

Ivan Cheparinov

Alexander Riazantsev

Hoogeveen 2 0 0 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I S 8

GAME 4 I

Frank De La Paz

Viktor Moskalenko

Montcada 2 0 0 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 3

GAME 42

Petr Velicka

Viktor Moskalenko

Solsones Open 2 0 0 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 6S

Viktor Moskalenko

Salou 20 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 7

GAME 43* David Larina Nieto

GAME 44 Magesh Chandran Panchanathan Zviad Izoria GAME 45

Michael Adams

Philadelphia 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 1

Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu Sofia 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 4

Part Three GAME 46

Alexander Morozevich

Viktor Moskalenko

Moscow m 1 994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 1

GAME 47

Karsten Rasmussen

Viktor Moskalenko

L'Estartit Open 2 0 0 7 / 0 8 . . . . . . . . . . . I 8 S

GAME 48

Dmitry Yakovenko

Alexander Morozevich Moscow ch-city 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 9

GAME 49* Julian Radulski

Viktor Moskalenko

Montcada Open 2 0 0 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2

GAME 50* Roeland Pruijssers

Li Shilong

Dieren 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 8

GAME 5 I * Fabiano Caruana

Murtas Kazhgaleev

Khanty-Mansiysk 20 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 9

GAME 5 2* Piotr Bobras

Evgeny Naer

Germany Bundesliga 20 I 0 1 1 1 .. 2 0 0

GAME 5 3 * Bartlomiej Macieja

Alexander Morozevich S t Petersburg 1 9 9 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2

GAME 54* Li Chao

Yu Shaoteng

Suzhou 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 3

GAME 5 5 * Li Chao

Zhou Weiqi

Xinghua ch-CHN 2 0 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 S

GAME 56* Vitaly Levchenkov

Viktor Moskalenko

Riga 1 9 84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 2

GAME 5 7* Alexey Dreev

Viktor Moskalenko

Lvov I 9 8 S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 2

GAME 5 8 * Manuel Aguas

Viktor Moskalenko

Benasque 1 9 9 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 4

GAME 5 9 * Bela Lengyel

Beat Ziiger

Budapest 1 9 94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 4

GAME 60* Alexander Grischuk

Simen Agdestein

Stavanger 2 0 1 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 S

GAME 6 1 * Sergey Karjakin

Alexander Morozevich Dubai 2 0 1 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 7

GAME 62

Nigel Short

Alexander Morozevich Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 8 / 9 9 . . 2 2 3

GAME 63

Andrey Volokitin

Viktor Kortchnoi

Igualada 2 0 0 S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 S

GAME 64 Viacheslav Borisenko

David Anton Guijarro

Albena 2 0 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 8

GAME 65

Nigel Short

Internet (rapid) 2 0 0 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 9

Viktor Moskalenko

Spain 200 I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 1 Leningrad tt I 9 S 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 3

Peter Svidler

GAME 6 6 Jorge Iglesias GAME 6 7

Vasily Panov

Viktor Kortchnoi

GAME 68

Peter Leko

Alexander Morozevich Morelia/Linares 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 S

GAME 6 9

Ruben Felgaer

Viktor Moskalenko

GAME 7 0

Konstantin Landa

Alexander Morozevich Samara 1 99 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

Barcelona 2 0 0 S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7

GAME 7 I * Mert Erdogdu

Viktor Moskalenko

Ankara 20 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

GAME 7 2 * Lazaro Bruzon Batista

Nigel Short

Havana 20 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

GAME 73

Alexander Zakharov

Vladimir Potkin

Moscow 1 9 9 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 S 3

GAME 74

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Sergey Volkov

Tomsk 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 S 6

GAME 7 5

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Stephen Giddins

Port Erin 1 9 9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 S 7

GAME 76* Aramis Alvarez Pedraza

Viktor Moskalenko

Catalunya t t 2 0 1 I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 S 9

GAME 77

Dmitry Schneider

Yucay 2 0 0 I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 1

Oliver Zier

Marianske Lazne 2 0 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 3

Christian Esplana

GAME 7 8 * Jacek Bielczyk

356

Index of Games Part Four GAME 79

Alexander Chistiakov

GAME 80 GAME 8 1 GAME 82

Tigran Petrosian

Moscow ch-city 1 9 5 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 0

Garry Kasparov

Vasily lvanchuk

Horgen 1 9 9 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 2

Viktor Moskalenko

Jorge Gonzalez Rodriguez Montcada Open 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 5

Jordi Fluvia Poyatos

Viktor Moskalenko

Catalunya ch 2 0 0 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 0

GAME 8 3 * Daniel Alsina Leal

Viktor Moskalenko

Barcelona 2 0 0 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 2

GAME 84* Lars Oates

Twan Burg

Venlo ch-NED jr 2 0 0 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 4

GAME 85* Alexander Kovchan

Richard Rapport

Groningen 2 0 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 5

GAME 86* Emil Sutovsky

Viktor Moskalenko

Evry 2 0 0 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 8

GAME 8 7 * Vladimir Potkin

Viktor Moskalenko

Tenerife (rapid) 2 0 0 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 4

GAME 88* Kutwal Shashikant

Thomas Luther

Mumbai 2 0 1 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 8

GAME 89* Ilmars Starostits

Viktor Moskalenko

Renedo 2 0 0 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 3

GAME 90* Daniel Alsina Leal

Viktor Moskalenko

Barcelona tt 2 0 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 7

GAME 9 1 * Hikaru Nakamura

Yury Shulman

S t Louis ch-USA 2 0 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 2

Part Five GAME 9 2 * Bernat Martinez Gutierrez

Viktor Moskalenko

Badalona 2 0 0 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 1

GAME 93

Fernando Braga

Viktor Moskalenko

Barbera 2 0 0 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 3

GAME 94* Francisco Esteban Moreno

Viktor Moskalenko

Valencia 2 0 0 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 5

GAME 9 5 * Boris Spassky

Viktor Kortchnoi

Zurich 2 0 0 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 7

GAME 96* Dragoljub Velimirovic

Wolfgang Ohlmann

Skopje 1 9 7 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 8

GAME 9 7 * Garry Kasparov

Nigel Short

Tilburg 1 99 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 9

GAME 98* Dmitry Svetushkin

Andrey Zhigalko

Eilat tt 20 1 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 3

GAME 99

Viktor Moskalenko

Alushta 1 9 94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 5

GAME I 00 Ilia Smirin

Viktor Moskalenko

Beijing 1 9 9 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 9

GAME I 0 I Stefaan Deman

Danny Haberkorn

Antwerp 1 999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

GAME 1 0 2"tisa Schut

Yochanan Afek

Amsterdam 2 0 I 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348

GAME I 0 3 "teonid Totsky

Andrey Tarasenko

Moscow 1 9 9 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 0

German Kochetkov

357

The Even More Flexible French

I ndex of Variations French Defence 1.e4 e6 Part One - Advance Variation 2.d4 dS 3.eS cs

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.i " .t � - � .i i .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. .t. 8 8

888 888 l:'. ttJ � 'li' � � ttJ l:'. Chapters 1, 2, 4, 6 - 4.c3 tLlc6 5.t2Jf3 5 ...�b6 6.a3 6 ...t2Jh6 6 ... c4 . . 6.�d3 . . . 5 ...tLlh6 . . . . 5 ... t2Jge7 . . . .

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. . Games 1-4 . Games 1 1 -22 . . . . Game 9 . . . . Game 5 . . . . Game 6

Chapter 3 - 4.c3

4 ... �b6 S .t2Jf3 �d7 . . . . . . . . . . Game 7 4 ... tLlc6 s.t2Jf3 �d7 . . . . . . . . . . Game 8

Chapter 5 - 4.�g4

4 ... t2Jc6/4 ...�a5/4 ... cxd4 . . . . . . . Game 1 0

358

Index ofVariations Part Two -Tarrasch Variation 2.d4 dS 3. llld2

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.I � .t :it' • � .I ill ill l l 88

8 8 8 0i 8 8 8 l:'. � iY � � ttJ l:'. Chapters 7-1 1 - 3 lllf6 4.eS lllfd7 •..

5.c3 cS 6.�d3 lllc 6 7.llle2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 . . . . . . . . . . . Games 2 3 , 24 9.lllf4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Games 25, 26 7.lllgf3 g6 . . . . . . . . . . Games 27, 28 6 ...b6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Games 29, 30 S.f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Games 3 1-34 Chapter 12 - 3 �e7 ...

4.eS . . 4.c3 . . 4.lllgf3 4.�d3

Chapter 1 3

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3 ... cS 4.exdS �xdS

.i � .t

� ..t '!al .i

j. j.

j. 'iV

[j,

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j. j. j.

•

5.lllgf3 cxd4 6.�c4 °i¥d6 7.�e2 . . Game 41 7.0-0 lllf6 8.lllb 3 lllc6 9.lllbxd4 lllxd4 1 0.�xd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 42 10.lllxd4 . . . . . . . . . . . Games 43-45

!'::, !'::, !'::, lZ:l !'::, !'::, !'::, .tr � � � � lll .ld:

359

The Even More Flexible French Part Three - Classical Variation 2.d4 dS 3 . tlJc3 tt:Jf6

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1 79

Chapters 14-16 - 4.eS 4.Jfd7 5.4.Jce2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.f4 c5 6.4.Jf3 4.Jc6 7.i.e3 7... a6 8.�d2 b5 . . . . . . 7...cxd4 8.4.Jxd4 �c5 . . 7...�b6 . . . . . . . . . . . . 7... �e7 . . . . . . . . . . . . 7... cxd4 8.4.Jxd4 �b6 .

. . . . . Game 46 . . . . .

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. . . . Game 47 . . . Game 48 . . . . Game 49 Games 50-55 Games 56-61

Chapter 1 7 - 4.�gs �b4 5.es h6 6.i.d2 �xc3 7.bxc3 4.Je4 8 .�g4 8 ...Wf8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Games 62-66 8 ...g6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Games 67-69 6.exf6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 70) 6.i.h4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 70 6.i.e3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 7 1 6 . �cl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 72 Chapter 18 - 4.eS 4.Jfd7 5.4.Jf3 cS 6.dxc5 4.Jc6 7.�f4 i.xc5 8.i.d3 f6 9.exf6 4.Jxf6 10.�e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0-0

.i

j. j.

360

1 1 ...�d7 . . . . . . . . 1 1 ...�aS (1 1 ...4.JhS) 1 l ...a6 . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 ...4.Jb4 (1 I ...i.d6,

. . . . . . . Games 73, . . . . . . . . . . . Game . . . . . . . Games 76, 1 1 ...�e7) . . . . Game

74 75 77 78

Index ofVariations Part Four -Winawer Variation 2.d4 d5 3. tbc3 �b4 4.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 7

Chapter 19 - 4...b6 S .�g4 �f8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 79 S.a3 �f8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Games 80, 81

Chapters 20, 21

-

4 .cS S.a3 .ixc3+ 6.bxc3 ..

6 ...'i{Vc7 7.VWg4 fS 8.VWg3 tlJc6 . . Games 82-84 8 ...tbe7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 85 8 .�hs+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 86 6 ...'VWas 7.�d2 VWa4 8.VWb3 . . Games 87, 88 8 .�g4 g6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 89 8.�g4 Wf8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Game 90 8/9.h4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game 9 1

361

The Even More Flexible French Part Five - Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (White and Black) . . 3 1 9

Chapter 2 2 - 2.d4 dS 3.exdS exdS (Games 92-97)

Chapter 2S - 2.tLlf3 dS 3.eS cS 4.b4 (Game 1 01)

Chapter 23 - 2.d3 dS 3.tLld2 (Games 98, 99)

Chapter 26 - 2 .b3 dS 3 . .2.b2 (Games 102, 1 03)

Chapter 24 - 2.d4 dS 3.tLlc3 tLlf6 4. .2.gs .2.e7 s.es tLlfd7 6.h4 0-0 (Game 1 00)

362

A Brief Biography Viktor Moskalenko - Born April 12, 1 960 in Odessa, Ukraine - Champion of Ukraine in 1987 - Champion Catalunya (Spain) in 200 1 , 2005, 2007 - Chess Grandmaster since 1 992 - Residing in Barcelona, Spain, since 2000 - Winner of numerous interna­ tional tournaments - Chess coach, FIDE Senior Coach (recently working in UAE as Federal Youth Coach) - Specialist in theoretical articles - E-mail: [email protected]

Bibliography Programs ChessBase 1 3 MegaBase 201 5 , ChessBase Magazine, the theoretical surveys Houdini 4 and the latest chess engines Database with approximately 500 own games, and another base with over 700 games on Internet playchess.com (Nickname CapNemo). •

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Books Yearbooks - New in Chess. French Defence - Advance Variation, by Evgeny Sveshnikov, Volumes 1 and 2, Olms 2007 Play The French, by John Watson, Everyman Chess 2003 Play The French, by John Watson, Everyman Chess 2012 Dangerous Weapons: The French, by John Watson, Everyman Chess 2007 The Complete French (Tarrasch 3 .tl:ld2, Winawer 3 .tl:lc3 �b4), by Lev Psakhis, Batsford 2003 The Modern French, by Dejan Antic & Branimir Maksimovic, New In Chess 2012 Grandmaster Repertoire 14 and 1 5 , by Emanuel Berg, Quality Chess 201 3 and 2014. •

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Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player "If you really have no patience for endgames, at least read Jesus de la Villa's '100 Endgames You Must Know'." - Gary Walters Chess "The greatest strength of the book: breaking things down into well-worded chunks of easily digestible information."

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Not just another collection of interesting positions "One of my three favorite chess teaching books. G rooten supplies nice examples and great explanation in a very structured way." - Jan van de Mortel, Chess Education Partners "A fantastic and challenging book for ambitious and advanced club players." - KARL Magazine "Chess coaches will have a qua lity supply of superb examples and explanations, and self-motivated students will benefit immensely if they are over, say, 1800 in strength.''

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Th.e Even More Flexible French When Viktor Moskalenko's The Flexible French appeared in

2008,

it caused a

sensation. It was hailed by reviewers from all over the world as eye-opening, full of new ideas, easy to read, sparkling, and inspirational. Time has not stood still, and the popular French Defence has seen a lot of new theoretical developments, not few of which were inspired by The Flexible French. Seven years after its publication, Viktor Moskalenko has decided to fully revise, update and extend his modern classic.

The Even More Flexible French has largely the same structure as its predeces­ sor, but the content is fully up-to-date on the latest theory. There are twelve new chapters on lines that have grown in importance,

28

more games, and throughout

Moskalenko has found hundreds of improvements, alternatives, new ideas and fresh weapons that will delight and surprise the reader. The book contains a more or less complete French repertoire for Black. Yet Moskalenko also presents quite a few weapons and opportunities for White. The Ukrainian Grandmaster's analysis is, as before, high-level, his touch has remained light and fresh. PRAISE FOR

Viktor Moskalenko (1960)

The Flexible French:

is an International Grand­ master and a well-known

"Ihe analysis simply sparkles

chess coach. The former

with ideas."

Ukrainian champion has

J O H N WATSON, T H E WEEK IN C H ESS

won m a ny tourna ments

"Moskalenko's coverage is

i n Spain, his new home

excellently balanced.

country. He is the author

Easy to read and understand;

of Ihe Fabulous Budapest Gambit

even weaker players will benefit from Moskalenko's breakdown of the material. " CARSTEN H A NSEN, C H E S S C A F E

ISBN 9789056915742

ble French

(2008), Revolutionize Your Chess (2009),

Ihe Wonderful Winawer Modern

5 2 9 9 5

(2007), Ihe Flexi­

(2010), Ihe Perfect Pirc­

(2013), and The Diamond Dutch (2014).

GAMES I CHESS $ 29.95 € 26.95 WWW.NEWINCHESS.COM

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